Journey of Secrets
by WolfKael
Summary: First Danny Phantom fic! DXS, TXV, but not super-heavy. Lancer's class is on a trip to the Ghost Zone, courtesy of the Fentons! (Takes a couple chapters to gain momentum, and I promise it isn't your average 'field trip' fic!) T because I'm paranoid, but it could probably be K . SEQUEL IS UP AND IN-PROGRESS: Check out "Adrift"! Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom!
1. In The School

**A/N: My first Danny Phantom fanfic! I only got into the fandom about a year ago; what can I say? The basic concept was really cool, and so was the fanart! Not only that, but there's a lot of really well-written fics for this series! I would definitely recommend "A Phantom Marooned" by LordPugsy, if you haven't read it already.**

**Now for the plot; nothing too unusual. Lancer's class on a field trip to the Ghost Zone. Danny, Sam, and Tucker are juniors by this point. Phantom Planet happened, but no reveal. I've included some headcanon on ghosts and Danny's state as a half-ghost. This is a short chapter; sorry!**

**Enjoy! Please Read and Review!**

Ch. 1

It's another average day at Casper High. Mr. Lancer drones on, Dash bullies the nerds during passing periods, and Danny Fenton vanishes just before a ghost attack. He arrives in his next class, listening to the others gossip about the local hero, Danny Phantom; no one, except for his two best friends, notices the limp he's attempting to hide.

"Who was it?" Sam asks, her violet eyes locked onto his leg in worry.

"Well," he grunts, shifting his backpack to the floor and falling into his seat, "It started out with just the Lunch Lady, but then Valerie showed up and I had to ditch her."

"You okay, dude?" Tucker whispers, "Sorry, standard question."

"I'll be fine soon enough. Did you take notes for Lancer's class?"

Sam nods. They've been doing this since the beginning of the school year, and should have since the accident two years ago. It's nearly three months into their junior year, and Danny's grades have managed to cling to an average of 'B'.

The group falls silent as class starts, Danny's head soon resting on his arms. He looks asleep, but she can see his finger tapping rhythmically on the edge of his desk. It's a signal not to kick him awake; he's just feeding, devouring the emotional energy in the air. She knows that if she touches him, his skin will be even colder than usual, his cold core closer to the surface. She tries to remember when it started, when he had to start feeding on emotions to supplement his human diet. It doesn't come to the surface, so she mentally shrugs it off. She exchanges a glance with Tucker, who is busy tapping discreetly on his PDA.

The bell rings, and he sits up slowly, the dark bags under his eyes almost gone, and runs a hand through his dark hair.

"Enjoy your snack?" Tucker snickers.

"Yeah," Danny retorts, "But I have to really monitor my intake, or I'll get fat."

"And remember what happened three months ago? You accidentally ate too much and made the whole A-List depressed."

Sam chuckles, noticing that his limp has vanished, "Paulina's face was hilarious! She looked _awful_."

Danny frowns, not wanting to be reminded. He, like most ghosts, feeds on negative emotions, which a high-school is _overflowing_ with; however, he's learned how to take only a little bit from each person without affecting their mood. He didn't have to in the beginning; but as he's become a stronger ghost, he's required the extra energy. Even more importantly, it helps to heal injuries and keep his identity under wraps. It takes a lot of focus, however, which is the reason for the 'sleeping in class'-act.

"Hey! Fen-tina!"

He groans as Dash Baxter shoves him against the lockers. He's grown since freshman year, and his feet no longer leave the ground, but the quarterback still has an inch or two on him. Dash's arms are as thick as telephone poles and he has shoulders like a bear, so he doesn't even question his superiority to the whip-thin Danny Fenton.

"What's up, Dash?" Danny sighs, "Have a rough time with midterms? Come to take it out on me?"

"You bet, Fen-toad," the blond growls, stomping down on his toes. Danny pretends to grunt in pain, inwardly feeling very bored. At the edge of his mind, he can sense Dash relishing the power, and he resists the urge to smirk. _If only he knew who he was beating up._

He's slammed against the lockers again.

_If only he knew that I could take him out any time I wanted._

_-BREAK-_

* * *

"And I was like, 'No way!' and she was like, 'Yes way!' and I was like, 'No _way_!'" Paulina relays to Starr, who giggles.

"Oh my gosh," she twitters in between blowing on her nails, "I can't believe she did that!"

"I know, right?"

Sam grinds her teeth and prays that they'll fall silent once Mr. Lancer gets into the class, "We're in our third year of high-school, and they're having the same conversation they were having in the first!"

"Calm down, Sam," Danny laughs, "at least they're not giggling over Phantom."

"I always wonder what would happen if they realized he's your boyfriend," Tucker comments, glancing up at her with a grin, "What's it like to kiss when you're invisible?" This earns him a slug on the shoulder from the pink-cheeked Goth.

"Same as it is to kiss visible," Danny answers, earning his own bruise.

The two boys share a grin, and Lancer strides in, clearing his throat to grab their attention. The class falls silent.

"You'll be pleased to know that we're going on a field trip," he begins, earning whoops and cheers, but what he says next makes Danny's blood run cold.

"…to the Ghost Zone, courtesy of the Fentons."

**(A/N: Stupid fanfiction keeps removing spaces. What the heck is WRONG with you?! Why can't we space out our paragraphs properly?! I protest this crap.)**


	2. In The Lab

**A/N: Wow! Got some pretty good responses to the first chapter! Thanks to all those who faved/followed and to IRead2MuchManga99, The Talent, and Lexosaurus for reviewing! The idea of Danny feeding from emotions like other ghosts has shown up in a few other fanfics, and it was nice to know that I'm not the only one with that headcanon. :D Glad you guys like it! Also, it seems that Fanfiction removes spaces between paragraphs...I'll type -BREAK- in later chapters between shifts. Luckily, there are no shifts in this chapter. Anyway, read & review! **

Ch. 2

Danny massages his temples, stifling a groan. His parents stand upstairs, speaking down to the students from the second floor, parading around in their bright jumpsuits.

"Dude, it can't be more embarrassing than the time your mom called to you from the stage that one time," Tucker assuages.

"Somehow it is, Tuck," he sighs.

"There's certainly more potential for embarrassment here," Sam comments.

"We have bigger problems, anyway," the techno-geek redirects, "I mean, our _class_ is going _into the Ghost Zone_."

Danny's hands fall from his forehead and he slumps hopelessly against the wall, "They are going to get us _lost_," he whispers weakly, "And then I'll have to explain why _I_ know my way around when things go bad."

"'If', Danny, '_If_ things go bad'," Sam corrects.

He and Tucker both level skeptical stares and she winces.

"Look at the gloomy Goth, being optimistic," Tucker snickers.

"Do we have equipment stashed on us?"

"Thermos, and that lipstick blaster," Tucker taps his pack.

"I have three wrist-rays," Sam adds.

"Fenton phones?" Danny questions, and they both nod; his own wait in his pocket, "Good."

"Your parents will probably be packing too," Tucker finishes, "We can hold off long enough to get away."

Danny doesn't reply, instead folding his arms, his fingers tapping anxiously on his elbow as his parents finish their address to the class and begin to lead the entourage to the lab.

"Please get onto the speeder in an orderly manner!" Maddie shouts.

"And don't touch anything!" Jack adds.

"I can't believe we're actually going into the Ghost Zone!" Dash grins.

"I wonder if my scrumptious specter will be there!" Paulina swoons, earning a snicker from Tucker. Danny suppresses another groan, squeezing Sam's hand briefly. Valerie's eyes narrow in disgust at the Latina.

"Phantom? That'd be awesome!" Dash tosses a football to Kwan.

"Think he'd want to hang with us?" Kwan inquires, passing it back.

"Duh! Of course he will! We're only the _most popular_ students at Caspar High!"

Sam snorts derisively and leans against her tense boyfriend's shoulder, "It'll be fine, Danny."

"That's what Jazz said when I called her about this whole mess last week," he replies sulkily, "strangely, I'm not feeling very assured," he discreetly points at the football flying through the air, "They're throwing that around in a vehicle armed to the teeth with weapons that could be set off by _who knows_ what button."

As if on cue, the football drifts too far forward, slamming onto a button at the front. Immediately, a ghost shield slams down around the speeder and ecto-guns sprout from every surface. Danny shoves his cold core as deep as possible, trying to avoid being classified as a spectral entity.

He exhales a long breath when it appears to work, his mother pressing a button to retract the weapons and sternly lecturing the two jocks. By the end, Dash casts a glare towards his favorite punching bag, who slides down into his seat.

"I'm _so_ getting it later," he moans.

"One of these days, you should really just throw him across the hallway," Sam growls, "I hate that you let him do that crap to you."

"It reduces the number of bullied freshmen," Danny replies, "If he's going to target someone, it might as well be someone who can take a punch, right? It's annoying, like the box-ghost."

"The hardest part is pretending you're still scared," Tucker snorts, "Heck, I think _I_ could take him down by this point with all of this ghost hunting."

They trio shares a laugh.

"It could just be dealing with the paperwork at City Hall, though," he mutters, his eyes narrowing at his screen, "I have so many forms piling up on my desk today alone," he hisses an inaudible curse, "Dude, I really need a secretary. A super-sexy one. Tight pencil skirt, a blouse cut barely low enough to tease, and some frameless specs. Hot _and_ competent."

"Didn't think that was your type," Danny replies as Tuck avoids Sam's boot.

"Not to _date_; just to _look at_. Eye-candy doesn't have to be a certain 'type'. It'd just spice up my workday."

The halfa chuckles before Sam elbows him in the gut, cutting him short while snorting something about 'idiot boys.' He recovers and kisses the tip of her nose.

"I don't need sweet eye-candy anymore," he grins goofily, "I like mine a little bitter."

Her cheeks mist pink, "That was so corny."

"Yeah, maybe," he wraps an arm around her shoulders, leaning to whisper in her ear, "But I meant every word."

A spark races along her spine, reveling on the chill of his breath on her ear. His voice had become deeper since freshman year, but his tone sent her heart racing, bathing her entire face red. Her amethyst eyes swivel to meet his deep blue; if she stares long enough, she can see tiny flickers of ectoplasmic green swirling in his irises.

"Keep breathing, Sam," Tucker reminds, dragging her away from her ruminations, "You two need to get a room. Seriously."

"You need to stop daydreaming of a sexy secretary and make a move on the girl you _actually_ like," Danny quips.

"Dude," Tucker glares, only the faintest hint of a blush appearing, "We've gone over this. 'Flirting with Disaster' ring a bell?"

Danny winces, rubbing the back of his neck, "Hey…she…focuses on the other ghosts first?"

"Dating Catwoman," Sam adds.

"I _know_," Tucker hisses, "I'd rather make sure she stops wanting my _best friend_ dead first."

"Alright, everyone buckled in?" Maddie Fenton chirps through the intercom, receiving cheers in reply, "Remember that we will _not_ be exiting the Specter Speeder. This is less of a field trip and more of a…tour…the Ghost Zone is dangerous and we don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Remember not to touch anything," Jack reminds jovially, "_especially_ not the fudge dispenser in the back!"

They all agree, and Mr. Lancer finishes taking roll, "Nobody's missing. Let's be off, then, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton."

The Speeder lifts from the ground, and Danny stares into the swirling depths of the Ghost Zone.

"Clockwork preserve us."


	3. In The Ghost Zone

Ch.3

The 'Specter Speeder' seems to be an unfortunate name as it creeps through the portal, as though waiting to be ambushed. Danny can hear his parents finally exhale, their bodies tense as they glance around at the world outside. The class had fallen absolutely silent the moment they began to enter the portal and the absence of sound weighs on them even now, as they stare beyond the windows with wide eyes.

All of them except three.

Danny's eyes are closed, focusing his other senses to detect invisible foes. Sam appears bored, resting her chin in her hands. Her foot taps in impatience at the sluggish speed. Tucker pays no attention, instead tapping away on his PDA.

Maddie clears her throat, "So this is the Ghost Zone," her voice wavers slightly.

"What are the doors?" Kwan asks, "What's behind them?"

"W-well," she laughs sheepishly, "I-_we_ don't know."

"Aren't you supposed to be experts on the Ghost Zone?"

"We're experts on _ghosts_," she defends, "We've never been in here, actually."

Even Mr. Lancer looks a bit disconcerted, shifting anxiously in his seat.

"But that's why we're here today, isn't it, Mads?" Jack booms jovially, "We're just going to drive around a bit to see what it's like in here, and show you kids what it's like to study ghosts!"

The class groans and Danny's eyes flick open, "Wrist-rays, guys," he hisses, his voice carrying only to his two friends. They nod, and he clamps one on before donning the Fenton Phones.

"How long?"

"I imagine my ghost sense will be–" he hiccups, the frost curling upward, and sighs, "appearing now, apparently."

As though on cue, the alarms in the speeder cry out, the ghost shield snapping down. Maddie pulls a Fenton Bazooka from beside her seat, immediately prepared to fight. Jack waits at the steering wheel, ready to whisk them away.

"BEWARE!" The entire class sighs as the familiar pest of Amity Park appears beyond the shield.

"It's just the Box Ghost," Paulina mutters, checking her appearance in her compact mirror, "How lame."

"Was it him you sensed?" Sam whispers.

"No," Danny replies, "I sensed him, but I decided not to mention him. There's someone else coming; someone stronger."

Tucker snorts from behind his PDA, "Lancer once slapped the Box Ghost away with a rolled-up newspaper like a misbehaving cat who won't stay off the counter. Can you tell who else you're sensing?"

"Not exactly," he replies, "It's not one of the super-regulars of Amity Park. It's familiar, though."

"So not Skulker, Ember, Technus, or Desiree," Sam ponders.

"No," he confirms, focusing again, "They seem to be keeping a distance and watching. Personally, I'm all for hitting reverse on this thing and getting out of here."

Unfortunately, he'd said the last part more loudly, "What, you afraid of the _Box Ghost_, Fenton?" Dash teases, not daring to maul his last name in the presence of an armed Maddie Fenton.

"No," he replies, "But I'm scared of who _else_ might be in here. Are Sam, Tucker, and I the only ones who think that going into the Ghost Zone, knowing nothing about it, _with _a class of high-school students is a _bad idea_?!"

The snickering students silence.

"Nonsense, Danny-O!" Jack declares, "We'll be fine in the speeder! She's fully ghost-proof!"

"He's right, dear," Maddie smiles, "We're not going far from the portal; it'll be fine."

He sighs in irritation and leans back into his seat, slinging his arm protectively around Sam again.

"Look on the bright side," Tucker mutters, "Clockwork would let us know if there's a disaster ahead."

"That's true," his fingers comb through the tips of her shoulder-length hair, "hopefully."

"We're here, if things start to go bad," Sam comforts, reaching up to grasp his fingers, "And you have _some_ allies in the zone."

"The Huntress is here, too," Tucker adds.

"True," the halfa agrees, "And my mom; she's a good shot."

The speeder picks up some more speed, Jack angling it carefully around doors and jagged rocks, "So we have doors and jagged stones – almost like asteroids," he observes aloud.

"Fascinating…" Maddie breathes, "But we haven't seen many ghosts."

"That's because they're afraid of us, Mads!" He boasts, "Of course they won't att–"

A loud keening begins in Danny's ears despite the Fenton Phones and spots begin to dance in his vision.

"Danny?"

"Danny!"

His stomach churns, and he can feel spectral power swirling at the edge of his senses, converging on the ghostly stalker. He falls to his knees, clutching at his ears.

"Tuck…S-sam…" he groans, "W-we need to…" The world fades to black and he collapses, the speeder shattering moments later in a swirl of light.

**A/N: Who is the mysterious attacker? Thanks to everyone for all of your reviews/faves/follows! The real meat of the story begins in the next chapter! Please continue to read and review! It keeps me aware that people ARE waiting for updates and that I need to get my lazy butt typing.**


	4. In The Wreckage 1

Ch. 4

Maddie groans, picking herself from a rocky surface. Her body aches, and it isn't until she's sitting upright that she opens her eyes. She sits on one of the tiny islands; her suit is torn in a few places, probably from some of the shrapnel around her. Her heart leaps into her throat.

_Where are the others?_

She stands shakily, and begins to walk.

"Mrs. Fenton?"

She turns to see Mr. Lancer sitting up, his hand over a laceration on his forehead. She rushes over and helps him stand.

"What happened?" He asks.

"I don't know," she replies honestly, "No ghost should have been able to avoid the speeder's sensors."

"What about the kids?" He asks, the worry on his face clear.

"Let's look for them," she suggests, and they split up to search among the wreckage.

Thirty minutes later, they find Dash and Kwan, both unconscious with a few burns. She pulls a small first-aid kit from her suit and bandages the worst injuries on the two students and their teacher.

She worries as she works, wondering where the others have gone. She's seen no signs of bodies amongst the wreckage; surely an explosion that left her and three others alive wouldn't have vaporized the rest. She can see Mr. Lancer as he combs more of the island.

"Mrs. Fenton!" He shouts, and she leaps to her feet.

"What's wrong?"

"I found Daniel!"

Her heart stops, and in the blink of an eye, she's looking down at her boy. Her baby boy. His face is pale, and his shirt torn and stained. Mostly red, but there is some green ectoplasm mixed in with it, which she assumes is from the ecto-powered weapons on board. Lancer has his fingers pressed to his neck, checking for a pulse; his brow drawn together in concern.

"Is he alright?" She asks, her voice wavering.

His shaking fingers move from the neck to rest just above the boy's nose. His lips are pressed into a grim line.

"No…" she collapses to her knees, ignoring the knife-sharp pebbles biting into her skin as a sob bubbles into her throat, "No, _Danny_," she shoves the teacher unceremoniously aside, her shaking fingers brushing a clump of black hair from his face while the other hand checks again for his pulse. Her heart breaks as her fingers touch his ice-cold skin.

"He was acting strange before the explosion," a new voice interrupts, and she turns rigidly to face Kwan, who stands a few yards away.

"Strange? How?" Lancer questions, the words barely making it past his lips.

"He looked…sick," he answers unsurely, "He had his hands over his ears too."

She turns back to her son, her tears pouring down her face, and collapses with a sob onto his chest. He's grown so tall, towering over her as of late. In her mind, she can still see his smile when he'd gotten his license, and his eyes softly and adoringly admiring his girlfriend's face.

_Sam,_ she realizes with a bolt of lightning, _Oh, goodness, _Sam_. Is she okay, or is she…is she with my son?_

She can hear Lancer moving around, only paying him any attention when he mumbles, "What is this?"

She turns her head, looking up to where Lancer kneels at Danny's head.

"What?" She manages to croak.

He lifts something, and she snatches it from his hand. A Fenton Phone sits unscathed in her palm. She can hear something from it, and lifts it to her ear.

_"__Danny? Danny! Where are you! Come on, Danny!"_

_"__Sam, calm down, he's probably fine."_

_"__Shut up, Tucker! Danny! You there?"_

She catches a sob, "Sam? Tucker?"

There are a few moments of silence.

_"__Mrs. Fenton?"_ the pair asks in unison.

She breaks down into sobs again, staring at the little radio. Mr. Lancer pats her back consolingly, and plucks it from her hands.

"Manson, Foley? She…it's Danny. He's…" his voice wavers and tears bud at the corners of his eyes, "He's not…"

He winces, pulling the device away from his ear, _"No! He has to be okay!"_ Sam screams, audible even to Maddie, _"Put it back in his ear!"_

"Ms. Manson, he…he won't–"

She swears loudly, _"Just put it in! I…I have to talk to him."_

The distraught teacher glances towards the mother, who nods shakily, "Just let her. I'd feel the same."

He solemnly places the device where he found it. Listening for the noise now, they can hear her yelling and screaming. They can't make out what she's saying, but they don't need to.

It falls silent after a few minutes, and Mr. Lancer takes the device back. He can hear muffled sobs on the other side.

_"__Hello?"_ Tucker calls.

"I've taken the radio back, Mr. Foley."

_"__Sam's taken hers out for a moment. What's he like? Is…how did he die? I mean, more specifics than the explosion,"_ his voice is oddly calm, objective.

"He looks pretty cut up. There's…" he swallows down a wave a nausea, "…a lot of blood. His shirt isn't white anymore."

There are a few moments of contemplative silence, _"His skin temperature?"_

"Ice-cold."

_"…__I see. Keep the Fenton Phone on you, okay? Stay on this channel. If there's an emergency – and _only_ then – Sam and I will be on channel four. Make sure you've found everyone in your area. We can trade information later,"_ he clicks out, and the sobs from Sam vanish as well after a few minutes.

"Is…is Fenton…really dead?" Kwan inquires, his eyes locked onto the silent form of Maddie Fenton, who runs her fingers through her son's hair with lifeless eyes.

Lancer clears his throat, "Yes," he whispers, "I'm afraid so."

"Oh _man_," he stumbles, his face pale, "_Fenton_."

"You should go keep an eye on Mr. Baxter."

"Yeah, that…that sounds like a good idea."

He stumbles over to the blond jock, who is only now blinking open his blue eyes.

"Kwan?"

"Yeah. Remember what happened?"

"Explosion."

"Mr. Lancer and Mrs. Fenton are here too…Fenton, he…Danny's dead, Dash."

The quarterback rockets upward into sitting position before wavering as blood rushes from his head, "Don't…joke with me."

Kwan pulls his knees to his chest, "I saw him, dude. Shrapnel from the explosion cut him up bad. Really bad. I think Mrs. Fenton's in shock. Manson and Foley seem to be alive somewhere else; Mr. Lancer was talking to them on some sort of radio. From his face, I'm guessing that Manson was losing it."

"…she really loves him," Dash whispers, "I picked on the little freak all the time, but I never-I never wanted him _dead_," he slowly rises and shuffles the direction Kwan had come, rounding a pile of wreckage.

Mrs. Fenton sits with her son's head in her lap, brushing blood-soaked strands of hair. Her eyes are lifeless, with tears leaking steadily down her cheeks. He struggles to hold his stomach in place as his eye travel the son's body, his white shirt now almost entirely red. He stumbles over to his side.

"Oh, man, _Fenton_. I–" his voice sticks in his throat. He'd spent years beating up Danny Fenton, the thin young man with ice-blue eyes, "I'm sorry," he thinks back to the scene in the speeder, with Sam. He'd looked so happy; they both looked happy.

_Personally, I'm all for hitting reverse on this thing and getting out of here._

They should've listened. If there was one thing he'd learned about Fenton at school, it was that he had an absolutely cosmic sense of timing. He was always gone when a ghost attacked; almost as though he knew it was coming. He had a real sixth sense about misfortune, but they hadn't listened. Now he was paying the price.

**A/N: Hey! Longest chapter to date! Thanks to all who faved/followed and reviewed! Woo-Hoo! Another cliffie! *Muahahahahaaa!* Kind-of. I'm debating between longer chapters or quicker updates…right now, I'm going with faster updates. Next time, we'll be finding out Sam's situation, followed by Tucker's. Please keep reading and reviewing! Until next time!**

**Special Thanks To: Lexosaurus, DP-PJO-SPN-Girl297, and The Talent for multiple reviews!**


	5. In The Wreckage 2

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed and faved! You make me feel so special every time I get a notification tone on my phone to see it's from FF :D Anyway…Chapter 5! Sam's story now! Just to clear some things up: There are 3 adults (Mr. & Mrs. Fenton, Lancer), and 17 kids in the class, including the main trio. The only classmates I know are: Paulina, Star, Valerie, Dash, Kwan. I'm vaguely aware of Lester and Mikey…Kind-of…Besides them, I'll be just making characters up. Also, Danny's middle name; I feel like we hear it in the show, but I can't remember what it is and Google hasn't been helpful. I feel like more than one author here on FF has used "James", so I'll be using that. It sounds right, but then again, that could just be the voices in my head…Please Read/Review!**

Ch.5

Acrid smoke burns in her nostrils, and she becomes aware of stinging on her elbows and knees, where they make contact with the stony earth of the Ghost Zone. Her amethyst eyes grudgingly open, blinking rapidly until the world clears. She coughs, and slowly lifts herself. The acid-green sky swirls above her. Glancing around, she can see several of her classmates scattered around her. She goes to the first, a girl named Crystal, and checks her pulse. Assured that she's alive, she checks on Alex and Jaden before coming to the final classmate. She checks Paulina's pulse, and she finds herself conflicted on how to feel.

"Alive," she growls, dragging her to where the other three are laid out. There are no major injuries, thankfully. She searches the rest of the area carefully, grateful that it's small, and finds no one.

A scream pierces the air, "These were new heels!"

Paulina cradles a broken, hot-pink heel in her caramel fingers with a shattered expression. The three students next to her groan, rolling onto their sides.

Sam smirks, "You're lucky to be _alive_, Paulina," she snorts, "And relatively uninjured."

She drops the heel and her fingers flutter over her face briefly, "There's not anything on my face, right?"

"Besides your hands? No," she retorts.

"What happened?" Alex sits up slowly before elbowing Jaden, "Wake up!"

"Five more minutes, Al," Jaden groans.

"Jay, you need to get up."

Crystal sits up, her eyes scanning the group, and then herself. She doesn't say a word; as usual. Instead, she begins to comb her fingers through her platinum curls.

"Ooh, Crys, where did you get that ice-blue lipstick? It still looks good. Mine isn't smudged, is it?" Paulina gasps, but gets nothing more than a small shake of the head in reply.

Content that her groups is alive, Sam turns her back to them while fiddling with her Fenton Phone, "Tuck, Danny? Anyone? Wake up, guys. Come on, wake _up_ and _answer me!_"

There are a few more moments of static before she hears a groan, and the sound of crunching pebbles, _"…Sam? That you?"_

"Tuck!" She smiles, "Heard anything from Danny?"

_"__No. Just woke up. Man, my head hurts. What happened up there?"_

"Explosion, remember?"

_"…__I'd already caught onto that, Sam,"_ he replies, _"But what ghost?"_

"I don't know."

_"__How long have you been up?"_

"Not long. I found Alex, Jaden, Crystal…and Paulina."

He laughs, _"Guess I'll look around for some of my peers too. You keep trying to get Danny."_

"Yeah."

He clicks off and she turns to her classmates, who stare at her in confusion.

"Who are you talking to, Susie Nobody?"

Sam glowers, "Tucker," she points at the radio in her ear, "These are made to work even in the Ghost Zone."

"I thought those were really ugly earrings given to you by your boyfriend freshman year."

"They have more than one purpose," she replies tightly, "Like a lot of things," she checks her wrist-ray briefly. They're more compact than they used to be, now more like a thin, silver watch. The actual blaster appears at the press of a button.

She presses her fingers to the communicator again, "Danny! Danny! Tuck's up, where are you? Danny!"

She can hear murmurs, but nothing definite.

_"__Hey Sam,"_ Tucker begins, _"Found four classmates. I have Mikey, Lester, Alice, and Beth. No one else. Talk to Danny yet?"_

"No," she growls, worry gnawing at her stomach, "Which is weird. He's stronger than us; wouldn't he wake up earlier?"

_"__Maybe whatever knocked him out before the blast is making him take longer," _he replies, _"I've checked my PDA, and his radio isn't dead. It should be working."_

The panic rises, thinking of Danny, _her_ Danny, bleeding out somewhere in the Ghost Zone. She imagines his enemies capturing him, torturing him.

"Danny? Danny! Where are you! Come on, Danny!"

_"__Sam, calm down, he's probably fine."_

"Shut up, Tucker! Danny! You there?"

She can hear static, as though the device is being moved, and a choking sob, _"Sam? Tucker?"_

She freezes, and she knows that Tucker has probably done the same, wherever he is.

"Mrs. Fenton?" she inquires.

The sobs are renewed, and she can hear the radio transfer again. _"Manson, Foley?"_ Mr. Lancer's voice transmits, _"She…it's Danny. He's…"_ his voice wavers and tears bud at the corners of her eyes, her heart plummeting into her stomach, _"He's not…"_

"No!" the word rips from her lips before she even recognizes it, "He has to be okay!" her chest is tight, but she shoves it down to awaken a burning anger, "Put it back in his ear!"

_"__Ms. Manson, he…he won't–"_

She swears loudly, "Just put it in! I…I have to talk to him."

She can hear it shift some more, and she clenches her white, shaking fingers, "Danny? …Danny, please, you…you can't be. Wake up, you _stupid_…! You fought Pariah Dark, you survived being zapped in the Ghost Portal…three times! You get thrown into buildings every day and get shot out of the air on a weekly basis and you're going to tell me that some _stupid_ explosion that couldn't kill a _normal_ human is going to take _you_ out?!" she can hear her voice raising, "Don't screw with me, Daniel James Fenton!" The silence weighs on her, leaving her unaware to the stares of her classmates, shocked at the sparking trails running down the goth's cheeks, "I…I love you, you idiot. I love your goofy smile and your confident stare. I even love that stupid hero complex of yours; you can't leave me, Danny. You never abandon those who need you, and I..I need you. Wake _up_!"

Silence screams back, and she falls to her knees, unable to withhold the sobs rising in her throat. Her mind scans morbidly through the possible ways he died, his body torn and bleeding. She tears out the radio as her mind flashes through the dream she'd had earlier that morning; Danny looked amazing in a tux, admiring her pitch-black wedding dress. He'd been older; she wonders briefly if he'd really look like that when they were twenty. Some voice in the back of her mind sneers that she'll never know, now; instead, it pulls a nightmare from the recesses of her mind. It was one she was familiar with, one that appeared after the Pariah Dark incident. A pitch-black casket being lowered to the earth. Her breathing seizes briefly, and a wave of nausea washes over her.

"Sam?"

Her eyes snap open, locking onto Jaden's worried face. She realizes with horror that she's been having her emotional breakdown in front of three classmates…and Paulina.

"Are you okay?" Alex asks.

She does her best to glare at them, "Danny…he's hurt," she explains, "Just…give me some room."

The two boys exchange a glance and return to the two girls behind her. She shoves the Fenton Phone in her ear just in time to hear Tucker.

_"…__channel. If there's an emergency – and only then – Sam and I will be on channel four. Make sure you've found everyone in your area. We can trade information later."_

She clicks over to channel four, steadying her breaths.

"…Tucker?" she croaks.

_"__Sam, calm down," _he begins, and she senses no patronization, _"Lancer said that he's still really cold. That means his core is close to the surface; he's always a little cold, but…I think he'd probably get warmer if he…_" she hears him suck in a breath, _"Don't get _too_ hopeful, Sam. Just…hold yourself together for now. For Danny. You have four students relying on you, after all."_

She snorts ruefully, "Look at Mayor Tuck, all responsible and calm."

_"And the Goth, being emotional,"_ he ribbs gently, _"__Gather as much information as you can. We'll talk to Lancer in an hour. He's on channel one."_

"Yes, Mr. Mayor," she replies mockingly, her heart settling.

**A/N: Tuck's POV next!**


	6. In The Wreckage 3

Ch. 6

_"…__wake up and answer me!"_

His eyes snap open, and he lifts himself from being face-down in the dirt with a grunt, "Sam? That you?"

_"__Tuck!" _he can hear the relief in her voice, _"Heard anything from Danny?"_

He glances around at the wreckage around him – or tries too, his head is throbbing in time with his pulse, and his vision pulses with it. He shoves down the wave of nausea, "No. Just woke up. Man, my head hurts. What happened up there?"

_"__Explosion, remember?"_ she replies dryly.

He gently moves into a sitting position, "I'd already caught onto that, Sam. But what ghost?"

_"__I don't know."_

"How long have you been up?" he pulls out his PDA – Lucy – and almost cries out in relief; she's unbroken, without even a crack on the screen. _See one of your fancy iPhones do that!_

_"__Not long. I found Alex, Jaden, Crystal,"_ he can feel her hesitate, and can already guess the next person on her list, _"…and Paulina."_

He can't resist laughing, "Guess I'll look around for some of my peers too. You keep trying to get Danny."

_"__Yeah."_

He clicks to a different station and it isn't long until he finds Mikey, and he carries the diminutive boy to the largest clearing in the wreckage. Assessing his injuries as non-lethal, he begins to search some more. He pulls Lester from some wreckage – he was lucky that it only trapped a leg. It needs to be wrapped up to stop the bleeding, and he'll probably require help to move, but he'll live. He lifts the heavy boy with a grunt, carrying him next to Mikey. He's not sure whether to be glad or disappointed that nobody is awake. He'd love for the girls – one in particular – to know that he's stronger than he's led them to believe. While still the least athletic of the three, he's no pushover. But, much like Danny, he pretends to be weaker than he is. He doesn't want anyone asking questions.

He finds two girls from his class – Alice and Beth, twins – soon after, with little more than minor scratches and bruises. He carries them to the clearing, smiling a little when Alice tightens unconsciously into his chest. Liking Valerie doesn't mean he can't enjoy some attention, does it?

After putting the girls down, he tears the bottom hem of Lester's khakis into strips and pulls a water bottle from his backpack. He dabs the blood away, hoping that he won't wake up in the middle of treatment, before wrapping the wound. He inspects the others more closely, relieved to note that none of them have much damage. He then does one last sweep of the area.

He sits back, clicking to the right channel of his radio, "Hey Sam. Found four classmates. I have Mikey, Lester, Alice, and Beth. No one else. Talk to Danny yet?"

_"__No_,_"_ she growls, _"Which is weird. He's stronger than us; wouldn't he wake up earlier?"_

"Maybe whatever knocked him out before the blast is making him take longer," he soothes, tapping on his PDA, which is connected to the Fenton Phone frequencies. Danny's radio is listed as 'broadcasting,' "I've checked my PDA, and his radio isn't dead. It should be working."

He can hear her breathing quicken, and he can't deny the churning in his stomach.

_"__Danny? Danny! Where are you? Come on, Danny!"_ he hears her plead, he voice higher in pitch.

"Sam, calm down, he's probably fine," he brushes.

_"__Shut up, Tucker! Danny! You there?"_

He can hear static, and then a muffled sob, _"Sam? Tucker?"_

The churning in his stomach increases, "Mrs. Fenton?"

The sobs renew, and he hears the radio transfer again, _"Manson, Foley?"_ Mr. Lancer begins, _"She…it's Danny. He's…"_

_Don't say it. Not to Sam. Please…_

_"__He's not…"_

_"__No!"_ Sam shrieks, a raw sound tearing from her throat.

_Calm down, Foley. Danny's survived worse than this._

_"__He has to be okay! Put it back in his ear!"_

_"__Ms. Manson, he…he won't–"_

_"__Just put it in! I…I have to talk to him."_

_Even if he is…_

_"__Danny? …Danny, please, you…you can't be. Wake up, you stupid…!" _he can almost hear her breaking, _"You fought Pariah Dark, you survived being zapped in the Ghost Portal…three times! You get thrown into buildings every day and get shot out of the air on a weekly basis and you're going to tell me that some stupid explosion that couldn't kill a normal human is going to take you out?!" _her voice is rising, growing more hysterical,_ "Don't screw with me, Daniel James Fenton!"_

_You can't let her break. You have to protect her, Foley._

He can hear her choke back a sob, _"I…I love you, you idiot. I love your goofy smile and your confident stare. I even love that stupid hero complex of yours; you can't leave me, Danny. You never abandon those who need you, and I..I need you. Wake up!"_

His heart squeezes in his chest, his fingers tightening. He can see Beth sitting up; he motions for her to be quiet before she can speak, and she turns to softly shake her sister.

His hands are shaking as she begins to sob loudly, and he can hear her rip the radio away from her ear.

"Danny…" he whispers hoarsely. A few moments later, he can hear a radio shift, and he swallows the lump in his throat, shoving his emotions down. _I promised. I have to be strong for her, _"…Hello?"

_"__I've taken the radio back, Mr. Foley,"_ Lancer grunts.

"Sam's taken hers out for a moment. What's he like? Is…" He swallows again, steeling himself, "How did he die?" Alice gasps softly, her fingers lifting to cover her mouth, "I mean, more specifics than the explosion," he doesn't sound like himself; he sounds distant.

_"__He looks pretty cut up. There's…a lot of blood. His shirt isn't white anymore."_

_His pulse is hard to find anyway. His breath rate is really slow…just maybe…_"His skin temperature?"

_"__Ice-cold."_

_He's cold, but…there's no way he'd be _that_ cold by chance…is there?_ "I see. Keep the Fenton Phone on you, okay? Stay on this channel. If there's an emergency – and _only_ then – Sam and I will be on channel four. Make sure you've found everybody in your area. We can trade information later," he clicks out to channel four, gripping his hands tightly in each other. He squashes the pride he feels in bossing Lancer around before he hears Sam's shaking breaths.

_"…__Tucker?"_ Sam whimpers, and he clenches his jaw.

"Sam, calm down," he begins as gently as possible, "Lancer said that he's still really cold. That means his core is close to the surface; he's always a little cold, but…I think he'd probably get warmer if he…" He hears her gasp in anticipatory hope, and he sucks in a breath, "Don't get too hopeful, Sam. Just…hold yourself together for now. For Danny. You have four students relying on you, after all."

She snorts angrily, _"Look at Mayor Tuck, all responsible and calm."_

"And the Goth, being emotional," he smirks, "Gather as much information as you can. We'll talk to Lancer in an hour. He's on channel one."

_"__Yes, Mr. Mayor,"_ she mocks, and clicks off.

"Man, she _is_ messed up," he mutters, resting his head on his bridged fingers, "She didn't contest a single thing I said."

"Um…Tucker?"

He glances over at Beth and Alice, wondering which one spoke.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Are you okay?" she reaches a hand out to the collar of his shirt, and he finally notices the stain spreading down his neck. He reaches his hand up, but she swipes it away, her fingers carefully sweeping his head. He hisses when her slender fingers make contact with a nasty bump at the base of his skull.

"Your ear has a knick in it too," she mutters, "Didn't you notice it?"

He wonders when she got this friendly with him – not that he minds, "No. I guess I was busy."

"I noticed," she glances briefly at Lester, who has yet to regain consciousness, "Let me help with this, okay? As thanks."

He wishes that he'd taken a first-aid kit, like Sam had. Could a guy carry too many first-aid kits when following a ghost-fighting superhero into the Ghost Zone? He reaches up to take his beret, now with one large tear along the seam, from his head. He hands it to her with the water bottle, "Can't wear it effectively anymore anyway," he sighs in response to her startled glance.

She takes the portion unstained by blood and begins to dab gently at his wounds, cleaning the blood from his neck. She finishes, and he takes the ruined beret from her hands, and presses it against the still-oozing wound on the back of his head, wincing as he applies pressure.

"Can you tear the other leg of Lester's pants to match the other side?"

She nods, using a pair of nail-clippers in her pocket to start the tear, "And now strips?"

He nods, and she tears them.

"Take your hand, and keep applying pressure here," he lifts his fingers a little, allowing her to slip her own in their place. He wraps the strips, holding the ball of fabric in place and even wrapping one against his right ear to stop the bleeding there in the process, "…okay, you can take your hand away now."

She removes a shaking hand, "You're…you know what you're doing."

"Sam's better," he replies offhandedly, before realizing the problem, "Danny's a klutz," he lies smoothly, "We're always patching him up."

She nods absently, her eyes still locked on his injury. He does his best to smile reassuringly.

"I'll be fine. Really, head injuries always look worse than they are."

"So…" Alice whispers from behind her sister, "Who…who died?"

He swallows thickly, "Danny," he replies, knowing that there's no way of deflecting it; she'd definitely heard him. _You should've been more careful, Tuck!_

"Oh, man," Mikey gulps, finally sitting up, "I'm sorry, Tucker," tears brim in his eyes.

"I'm not believing it until I see it," the technogeek replies, "Until there's no possible doubt."

"The person you were talking to on the radio…after Mr. Lancer…" Beth pales, "Oh, _Sam_."

"She has to be taking it hard," Alice squeaks.

"We can't focus on that now," he clenches his jaw, "She has her own group to worry about. So do Mr. Lancer and Mrs. Fenton," he begins to play absentmindedly on his PDA, not even seeing the screen, "There's at least one more group out there. Mr. Fenton, Valerie, Star, Ashton and Eric are unaccounted for…five in each group, huh? That's…awfully precise," _is this on purpose?_

His classmates stare at him, unused to seeing the laid-back Tucker Foley looking so serious…and so in-command. The blue-green eyes behind the lenses are distant and yet still focused as he mutters quietly to himself. His fingers entertaining themselves mindlessly with the PDA.

-BREAK-

_"__So, Tuck, I…I need to talk to you about something," Danny rubs the back of his neck nervously._

_"__Something?" Tucker presses knowingly._

_"__Fine," his best friend relents, "It's…it's about Sam."_

_"_Please_ tell me you aren't going to regale me with tales of your…lovers exploits," he teases with a shudder._

_"_Tuck!_ This is serious, okay?"_

_He can tell Danny means it, so he nods and waits._

_"__All of this ghost hunting…this…superhero business…" he sighs in frustration, "Tuck, there's a chance that one of these days, the counter on the suit won't stop just before zero. There's the chance that…that I won't always be so lucky," his voice quivers, and Tuck leans against the boy's lockers. They always show up late – can't afford for the popular boys to see their muscled and scarred physique._

_"__Danny–"_

_"__Tuck," the halfa interrupts, "you know it could happen. It's an occupational hazard. Just…it'll hit Sam hard. Part of why I waited so long to finally tell her how I felt…Tuck, she's not going to be just some high-school fling."_

_"__I know."_

_"__Promise me you'll be there for her, Tuck. She'll…she'll need someone to hold her together. If it's in the middle of a fight, we can't have her falling apart and letting other people get hurt. You have to hold yourself together. You have to be the strong one, Tuck."_

_"__I'll take care of her, man," he whispers roughly, choking up at the thought of losing his best friend._

_"__Promise me, Tuck. Promise me that you won't let her do something stupid. Promise that you'll give her a shoulder to cry on. Promise me you won't shed a _single_ tear until she can support herself."_

_He extends his hand, "I promise, Danny."_

_He cries almost every night since then in preparation; just in case. He runs through hundreds of scenarios and calculates the best way to react. He has to shut himself off if that day comes; he'll be conditioned against his death. He'll be out of tears so that he can soak up Sam's._

**A/N: Wow! Chapter 6! …and the longest. Thanks to all who read/review/fav/follow! Yippee! This is a super-fast update because I just couldn't wait to do Tucker's! Also, look on my profile for a link to a (very) rough sketch (I suck at digital art) I did of the main trio! I've been lazy in explaining their new looks. :P I found it to be of lesser importance. Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy Journey of Secrets! Keep read/review/fav/follow-ing!**


	7. In The Planning

**A/N: …I'm not sure I like this chapter as much. It just isn't as good. There's less character-oriented material, I suppose. I'm a character-oriented person. Thanks to all who reviewed! Read/Review/Fav/Follow and most of all: Enjoy!**

Ch. 7

Valerie Gray stalks quietly through the occasional bit of wreckage, her green eyes narrowing at every door she passes. Her suit is usable, but she doesn't wish to risk exposing her identity; not yet.

"And so I made an invention that could decipher the ghost language–"

Though _someone_ was going to get hit with a plasma blast soon, secret identity or no.

"I hope everyone else is okay," Star trots up beside her, "What do you think?"

She glances at the blond briefly in confusion, "Wait…you're talking to me now?"

Star shrinks under her gaze, "I…I'm sorry, Val," she squeaks, bordering on tears, "I felt bad about it every day, but then you started hanging out with that Fenton kid and you looked really happy so I…I just dropped it," her voice is almost a whisper.

"Well," the huntress snorts, "I'll need you to keep me from hurting Mr. Fenton, so I guess I'll accept a truce, even if temporarily," she finishes reluctantly, secretly excited to have her friend back; there will always be that part of her, however, that doesn't trust the cheerleader. She may forgive, but she'll never forget; and she'll _never_ make the same mistake twice.

Star laughs, "Yeah, well, at least he's nice; and it's good that we have a professional ghost hunter to help us too!"

_You already have one. A better one,_ she resists the urge to snap.

"So…" Star begins, "I know you and Fenton didn't work out, which we all knew that he and Sam would end up together, but…"

Val stares in confusion, "Where did you grab _this_?"

"It's been a long time since we've engaged in girl-talk," Star replies primly, "I doubt you've gotten any with _Sam_. Anyway…have you noticed the way Foley looks at you?"

"He looks at _everyone_ that way, Star."

"Mmm-mmm," a swish of golden hair, "Not lately, unless he catches you staring…or a dance is coming up."

"What's your point?"

"You should totally ask him out."

Valerie screeches to a halt, thankful that Mr. Fenton and the others are several yards behind, "What?!"

"He's not exactly bad-looking, you know," she muses, continuing on. The huntress jogs briefly to catch up.

"Well, maybe not," she admits, "But I don't think–"

"You're really smart, Val, and so is he. Not only that, but he's the _youngest mayor ever_ after he helped with the technical work for that disasteroid-turn-the-earth-intangible thing. He has universities all over the country reduced to catfights for him. You could do worse."

"Well, maybe so…"

"Do it, Valerie, once we get out of this."

"If he survives," she growls.

Fear flashes briefly across Star's face at the mention of death. Valerie ignores it; she's not going to beat around the bush. She has no idea where they are in relation to the portal, or where the others are. Mr. Fenton has no idea either. For once, she wishes that she knew how to find Phantom; she may hate his ectoplasmic guts, but she knows that he'd help her get the others out. It's his obsession, the reason for his existence. All ghosts have them. Boxes, meat, hunting, wishes…all ghosts have their little crutches, and heroics are his. She wonders, briefly, if he died waiting for a superhero. Perhaps he was playing hero.

Heroes always die young.

-BREAK-

"Mr. Foley?" Lancer asks into the radio.

_"__Yeah, Mr. Lancer. We're here. You report first,"_ Tucker replies briskly. Lancer resists the urge to glare at the little device; since when were his students – one of _those three_, nonetheless – so put-together?

"Well, I don't know where we are…"

_"'__We' being you, Mrs. Fenton, Dash, Kwan, and Danny?"_ Sam clarifies.

He clears his throat, "Y-yes."

_"__Can you see _anything_ besides doors?"_

He glances around, "I…I see something…castle-shaped in the distance."

_"__Dorathea's Kingdom, maybe, or Pariah's Keep,"_ Sam mutters, _"We're near Pandora's Acropolis."_

_"__I'm pretty sure we're near Skulker's place. Looks like a skull,"_ Tucker replies.

_"__That sucks,"_ Sam snorts.

Lancer, finally finding an opening, frowns, "You two seem oddly…familiar with the Ghost Zone."

Silence reigns on the other side. Mrs. Fenton's head shoots up, and she moves closer to hear the teens' reply; the first sign of animation she's shown since confirming Danny's death.

_"__Well, um…"_

_"__No use in trying to come up with something now, Sam. We've…been here before."_

"What?! How?" He silences Mrs. Fenton.

_"__Dude, our best friend lives just above the portal. You think we haven't snuck off with the Speeder before?"_

"You _what_?!" Maddie screams into the radio.

_"__Oh, uh…Hi, Mrs. Fenton,"_ Sam begins sheepishly.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

_"__We were always armed,"_ Tucker rationalizes.

_"__We're pretty awesome shots. We've been practicing. I still have my wrist-ray, and it seems to be in working order."_

_"__Speaking of weapons, we need to know the supplies of each group," _he diverts, _"I have Beth, Alice, Mikey, and Lester. Lester has a pretty nasty gash on his leg. I've cleaned and bandaged it best as I can, but I only have two bottles of water and five granola bars. The others can't find their bags; any bags, for that matter. I also have a wrist-ray, Fenton Thermos, and the lipstick blaster."_

_"__Tuck has a pretty bad bump on his head too!"_ Beth shouts somewhere in the background. He shushes her, deeming it unimportant.

_"__I have a first-aid kit, some notebooks, a wrist-ray, and no notable injuries; I'm with Alex, Jaden, Crystal and…Paulina. Thankfully, we have several lunchboxes. We can stretch it out a bit – with some whining."_

_"__Lancer?"_

"Mrs. Fenton has a first-aid kit. Dash and Kwan had some minor burns. Nothing serious. We have a couple bottles of water and two lunches."

"I also have several weapons on me, with my jumpsuit," Maddie adds.

_"…__Danny should be wearing a wrist-ray. Take it,"_ Sam orders.

"What about my husband and the other kids?" Maddie asks, taking the watch with trembling fingers.

_"__They're probably in another group, but I don't have any way to communicate…"_

_"__What about Valerie's…y'know…"_

_"…__if I try, I might be able to reach her with my PDA…"_

"Ms. Grey's…?" Lancer waits.

_"__It's not our secret to tell you; _she_ doesn't know that we know."_

_"__She has some…equipment,"_ Tucker explains vaguely,_ "I'll try. But first, I've calculated our approximate locations and the Fenton Portal's too far away."_

_"__Far Frozen?"_

_"__Yeah. They can get us home. It's a three-day walk for Mrs. Fenton and Lancer; two days for you and me, Sam."_

_"__I'll see if Pandora can help us out – she really likes Danny, after all,"_ Sam suggests quietly.

_"__I'll just try to avoid getting killed by Skulker. Mrs. Fenton, Mr. Lancer, if you head towards that castle, you'll be able to tell if it's Dorathea's or Pariah's zone. Dorathea can take on a dragon form. She can give you some supplies at least. She can't leave the kingdom without her brother Ara–"_

_"__Chauvinist Pig,"_ Sam snorts.

_"__Without him trying to take the kingdom back. Either way, she'll be helpful; just make sure she knows you're connected to Sam, Danny, and me. Especially Sam,"_ Tucker suggests.

"You want us to ask for help…from a ghost…" Maddie begins skeptically.

Tucker sucks in a breath, ready for the outburst.

"You want us to ask a dangerous blob of _ectoplasm_ for _help_?! For all you know, this dragon could have been the one who _attacked_ us to begin with! A ghost is the reason that Danny…that Danny…" she clenches her teeth, attempting to restrain a sob.

_"…__what choice do we have?" _Sam snorts, _"Have you ever _tried_ to know a ghost that wasn't attacking the town? And you know what? How _dare _you drag Danny into your argument–"_

_"__Sam!" _Tucker interrupts, _"Not now!"_

_"__But it's a bigoted outlook and racial discrimination–"_

_"__Sam."_

_"__Fine."_

_"__Let us know when you find out. Hopefully it'll be Dorathea's place and not Pariah's. Click the button for channel four twice to let us know you want to talk. I'll be taking my group straight for the Far Frozen. Sam, you're headed to talk to Pandora?"_

_"__Yeah."_

_"__Lancer, you'll let us know?"_

"Yeah," he replies, "Or…Mrs. Fenton will."

_"__According to my PDA, it's past midnight. Try to get some sleep; organize a watch rotation, and get moving by seven. Got it, Lancer, Sam?"_

_"__Got it. Check in at seven."_

-BREAK-

Dash stares into the swirling nebula of the ghost zone, trying to avoid the body around the corner of the wreckage. But he can't; it continually pulls at his blue eyes. With shaking knees, he trudges over to where _he_ lies.

"Fenton…" he whispers, staring at the crimson stains that spread over the shirt. Over the past few years, Daniel Fenton had changed. He'd stopped wearing the t-shirt and jeans of his freshman year, and was now known for wearing long sleeves even in the summer; a trend followed by his friends. The shirts were always overly baggy, but there were times he'd noticed something odd while shoving him against the lockers.

In a brief moment, he'd noticed what looked and felt like the outline of a well-developed set of muscles beneath the fabric, tensing themselves for the next punch. He thought he'd been hallucinating; but was he?

He reaches to his chest, when an ice-cold hand whips upward, snapping around his wrist. Dash, too stunned to scream, stares in horror.

Blue eyes flick open, flashing green, and swivel to face the quarterback.

He tears his hand from the icy grip, scurrying backwards; but when he looks back, the body lays exactly as it had been. He swears quietly and hurries back to the campsite, thoroughly unnerved. He can't stop looking over his shoulder for the rest of his watch.

**A/N: Was Dash hallucinating, or did Danny really wake up? Tune back in later for Ch. 8 of Journey of Secrets!**


	8. In The Camp

Ch. 8

Darkness stretches out undeterminably around him, but he can't tell if his eyes are open or closed. Weight seems to press down on his chest, and he notices somewhere in the back of his mind that he's not breathing. The silence of his own heart screams in his ears. He knows he should be panicking, but his thoughts are sluggish.

_We should have listened…_

_Why not me?_

_I was too hard on him…_

Voices trickle into his ears, accompanied by traces of emotion; remorse, mostly. His sluggish mind grasps for them, trying to drag them closer. The strain proves too much, and they break free, scattering into the ether.

_Daniel James Fenton! Don't you dare do this to me!_

Anger flashes violently at him, smothering a layer of desperation and despair. It slams into him, saving him the trouble of reaching for it.

_I promised, man, but…I can't handle this so soon. I…I'm not the hero._

Anxiety, grief, overwhelming pressure.

_I'm just the command center, man. My job is to catalog information on fights, enemies, and your powers. I calibrate the weapons for Sam and me. I drool after Valerie but make sure you stay connected to _some_ sense of bachelorhood. I mean, it's my duty! It's not like I can date Val right now anyway, right? So I'm supposed to keep dragging you off to play video games and shrug when your girlfriend starts questioning me. It's my job to make sure you don't become completely whipped before even saying your marriage vows! I'm there for you to talk about girl-problems…or rather, Sam-problems, because…well…she's never going to be 'just some high school fling,' or so you phrased it. Who am I going to talk to when I have girl problems, huh? Sam can't understand the way a guy's mind works; someday when you're married and probably have kids, I'll be coming over for advice on how to propose and keep a marriage intact. I can't do that if you're gone, man. You can't leave me hanging, Danny._

He wants to thank him, to tell him how much fun he's had. He wants to promise that he'll be there. He wants to shove him into a storage closet with Valerie Grey; as though Tuck hadn't considered doing the same to the official couple. He'd made a betting pool in the school too; and won. His winnings were estimated to be in the thousands, much to Sam's ire. He wants to reminisce about the way she chased the technogeek through the hallways and collapse into a fit of laughter.

_You know, Danny…I had a dream the other night. I was in this beautiful black gothic dress with silver lace accents and tiny green beads – Mom really hated it. Not traditional, you know? Not her idea of a fairytale wedding. I also had a thick, hooded cloak lined with silver faux fur – it was winter, with lots of snow outside. I was carrying a bouquet of black roses with white and green accents. The entire church was done up in black, white, and green. You looked amazing in your tux; the look in your eyes…it made me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world; like I was the _only_ girl in this world or the next that you could possibly love. You told me so, too. The Ghost Zone was even mentioned in our wedding vows. After our kiss, you transformed and we flew away. It was nice; everyone knew and they were cheering for you. They knew that you were a hero. I've always known, Danny. That's why…why you can't leave me. I…I need you, Danny. Not the Ghost-Boy, not 'Inviso-Bill', not Danny Phantom. I need _you_, Danny Fenton._

Light blooms in his chest, her voice caressing his ears. He can't call out to her; air won't fill his lungs. He can't tell her how much he loves the way her eyes light up when talking about her latest cause, the feel of her fingers in his hair; the way she _smells_. She's the only one who loves and accepts both halves of him; and he can't tell her that he's had the same dream.

He fights the weight in his chest, desperately trying to inhale, if only to obtain enough breath to say three little words. Pain spreads, starting in his head, a steady pounding. Finally, the weight disappears, and sweet air rushes into his lungs. Pain radiates from his chest, making its way through his entire body. His fingers scramble for purchase on the stony earth of the Ghost Zone. His heart stutters to life in his ears, drowning out his scream of pain. Tears unglue his eyelids, and he squints against even the dim light. He hauls himself onto his side, his body wracked with coughs that spill ectoplasm-infused blood to the ground. He wipes it away with a similarly-stained sleeve of his shirt.

"Where…?" his voice feels and sounds as though he's swallowed gravel. Standing on shaking legs, he stumbles to where the remains of a camp can be seen. A large, dark shape snores on the ground next to a pile of supplies.

He leans over the prone form, noting the bandages around his arms and forehead.

"Kwan?" he croaks softly.

"I'm sorry, Danny…" Kwan whimpers in his sleep, "P-please don't haunt me. I was just trying to stay on the A-List, you know? I just…"

Danny finally looks down at his ruined shirt, breath hissing between his teeth. He removes the article, revealing a scarred and well-built torso, and holds it up to eye-level.

"All that burns," he breathes, his fingers brushing the long gashes, finding fresh, matching scars on his body, "…how am I going to explain this?"

**A/N: Short chapter, I know! But I wanted Danny's chapter to be on its own, you know? How is he going to get out of this one? Why is Kwan sitting at the camp by himself? What are Sam, Tucker, and Valerie up to? A big thank-you to all who have reviewed/faved/followed! Your constant stream of support keeps me motivated to write!**


	9. In The Flight

**A/N: MORE THAN 50 REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! So Danny's chapter was short, but here's one that's a little longer! The show seems to flip-flop on the gravity of the Ghost Zone a little. I've made it so that the gravity is more…localized. If you can escape the radius of an object's gravity field, you can fly, almost like a magnet's field. Not quite, but almost. **

**KodiakWolfe13: Glad to know that my (after)life is no longer in jeopardy. (Didn't know it was in the first place…0.0') **

**Hawaiichick: Kwan participates in the bullying at school too, just not as much as Dash; mostly, he's apologizing for not stopping his friend. He's shown in the TV series to still participate...just more reluctantly. He doesn't really want to, but he wants to stay with the other A-listers. That's why he's apologizing.  
**

**A/N: To the reviewing Guest who's started as of today (8/28/14), you're hilarious. You should really pick a name for reviewing so that way I can call you out specifically. Sorry about your blood pressure; obviously, that's fixed by now. :D**

Ch. 21

Ch. 9

_"__So we can just…float?"_

"Yeah, if you lose enough contact with the soil…gravity here is…kind-of weird," Sam explains.

_"__It's more…localized, I suppose. I think we stay on the ground because we _expect_ to stay on the ground, personally,"_ Tucker theorizes.

_"__So we just jump off into the abyss and hope we can fly to that castle?"_ Maddie replies skeptically.

"…Yeah," she admits, her own group gathering their things. They glance nervously towards the white-specked peak in the distance, "We're heading for Pandora's Acropolis."

_"__Got it. Be safe, Sam,"_ Tucker replies.

_"__Promise you'll be careful?"_

"I will, Tuck, and I promise, Mrs. Fenton," she smiles. She clicks off and turns to her group…and Paulina, "Just follow me," she walks to the edge of the little island, and steps off, wobbling slightly in the air. She's never flown before – not by herself. She relaxes, trying to imitate Danny's form.

The other students…and Paulina, seeing her, follow with a little more enthusiasm, wobbling out into the air.

"Just copy Phantom," she advises, "relax a little more."

"Not that any of you will ever be cool as the _Ghost-Boy_," Paulina scoffs, falling quickly into a hovering position.

Crystal raises and eyebrow, her eyes darting from Paulina to Sam. _Is she okay in the head?_

Sam shrugs.

"Dude, this is _awesome_!" Alex whoops, looping around. Jaden still wobbles along the cliff-side before finally leaping out into the ether with a muffled scream. His eyes are wide, staring down at the never-ending abyss below.

"Welcome to the Infinite Realms, folks!" Sam grins, enjoying their obvious excitement.

"Do you do this all the time?" Alex inquires.

Jaden shivers, still glancing nervously down.

"Get stranded in the Ghost Zone?" Sam snorts, floating slowly in the direction of the Acropolis. They begin to follow slowly behind.

"No," he laughs, "Fly!"

Her mind flashes back to flights with Danny, his arms wrapped around her to share his powers. Fenton or Phantom, her mind turns to mush thinking of his eyes; ice or venom. His hand in hers as he lead her into the sky for a midnight dance, his palms roughened by nights of fighting.

"…Manson…earth to Manson…" she blinks, her eyes focusing on Jaden.

"What?" she asks innocently, still on-course for Pandora's.

"You just…zoned out," he replies.

"You never answered my question," Alex presses with a smirk, "Your eyes got all soft. You come here with Danny?"

Pain stabs through her heart, _Danny._

Realizing what he'd said, Alex pales, "I-I'm sure he'll be okay, Sam. Really, I mean, Fenton gets beat up by Dash all the time and he just…shrugs it off. I think he's tougher than he looks, so I'm sure…he's…"

"Ugh, I can't get my hair to lay right," Paulina moans, staring into a compact mirror.

She focuses on their destination, counting to ten in her head, "Yeah. He'll be fine. Thanks, Alex," she feels cold. It's odd; even when flying with Danny, pressed against his ice-cold body, she never felt cold. Somehow, he was always warmer than the cold night air.

_Dead._

She shakes the word away, gritting her teeth; she can't believe it right now.

_Mrs. Fenton said so. She knows what she's doing; he's her _son_, she wouldn't pronounce him dead without meaning it._

She clenches her hands, earning a worried look from Crystal, who flies to her right. Alex busily loops around Jaden to the left.

Paulina…is floating behind, still fiddling with her hair.

_This is going to be a long trip._

"You know…Alex and I work on the School Newspaper," Jaden begins, "We have an official list of couples in the school. We rate them; doomed, on-and-off, maybe, and married after graduation."

She snorts and raises an eyebrow, "So where do Danny and I fall?"

"Right at the top," he comforts, "At the very top of the 'Married after Graduation' category, the 'Happily Married' portion. He'll make it, Manson; Alex and I have never been wrong in that category. Ever."

She swallows thickly, "Thanks, Jaden."

_You know, Danny…I had a dream the other night…_

-BREAK-

Tucker clicks off the radio, checking his wrist-ray. He's schooled Beth in the use of the lipstick blaster, and he keeps the thermos within easy reach. He slings their only bag – his – over his shoulder.

"So…who's Skulker?" Alice asks, "You said we're near his…lair?"

"Yeah," he sighs, "The robot-ghost that always threatens Phantom is Skulker. That skull-shaped island is his."

"Do all ghosts have one?" Beth inquires.

"Only the ones with an obsession; the octopus-like ecto-blobs, for instance, are more like local fauna. Some have islands like Skulker, others have their lair through a door."

"A-Are you saying that every door here leads to some ghost's _lair_?" Mikey stutters, doing his best to support Lester. The larger boy hadn't reacted well upon waking up and seeing his leg. Even now, he looks pale.

"No," Tucker begins walking, motioning for them to follow, "Some lead to our world."

They perk up, "So…we can find one home?" Lester grins, his eyes locking onto the nearest door.

"Yeah, but you might end up in seventeenth-century London," he snorts, and the nerd's hand withdraws from the handle, "I wouldn't risk it. If we can get past Skulker's safely we'll find the Far Frozen; they're friendly."

"They?"

"Friendly?" Mikey adds.

He chews his lip, wondering how much he can reveal, "The Far Frozen is home to a bunch of Yeti," he explains, "Their leader is a big guy with an arm made of ice named Frostbite. They really like us…especially Danny. Oh, and they worship Phantom for sealing Pariah Dark," now to ensure that Frostbite won't refer to them as the same person, "They initially appear primitive, but they have amazing medical facilities that wouldn't look out of place in Star Wars."

"Will they have food?"

He laughs, "Definitely! I told you, Frostbite's a good pal. He'll make sure we're fed; and he can take everyone back to the Fenton Portal."

"So…how did you meet them?" Beth asks.

Tucker swallows, "Danny; honestly, I'm not sure if Frostbite's _his_ pet, or if he's _Frostbite's_ pet. Sam thought it was hilarious. 'A boy and his snow-monster,' were her words, I believe."

Beth looks down, "…sorry, Tucker. I know we never talked much, but…we all really liked Danny."

His jaw clenches, fighting his stinging eyes, _he's not dead. I won't believe it until I see the body myself._

"Yeah, he's really nice. He kept Dash busy for the rest of us," Lester whispers hoarsely.

"If he caught Dash picking on us, he'd stand up to him. You know how Dash is; there's no way he'd let anyone stand up to him, so he'd focus on Danny to 'teach him a lesson,'" Mikey finishes.

"He's pretty cute too; too bad the rest of us didn't notice until Sam made her claim," Alice giggles, "But we all knew they were going to end up together anyway. Alex and Jaden in the newspaper club have a list of couples in the newsroom; they're at the very top. 'Happily Married after Graduation.' They have potential couples on the list and make bets on who gets together with whom."

He smiles; Sam and Danny are always a safe bet. He can't imagine them apart; not really.

"They good?" Beth asks.

"Yeah. They predicted that Dash and Paulina would break up and get back together exactly six times last year; perfectly on target."

"Am I on the list?" her sister presses.

"No, I'm not either. Tuck is, though."

The leader of their little group trips over an invisible rock, "I'm _what_?"

Alice grins, "Yeah, they're betting on you and Valerie Grey in the 'Maybe' category."

"So she likes him?" Beth presses.

"I don't know," her sister replies.

"That makes two of us," Tucker mutters quietly.

_I'm just the command center, man…_

-BREAK-

The room is bleak and undecorated. Jack Fenton is chained in the corner opposite her. Star, Ashton, and Eric are chained together in the center of the room. Valerie stares angrily at the pulsating cuffs that deter her suit.

They'd taken a quick break – that was all. Their captors knew who to target first, taking Valerie and then Mr. Fenton. The final three were captured without a fuss. Their attackers been dressed in riot gear, with odd, green batons, led by a ghost in white.

She glances around the cell rapidly, her mind whirring.

"Thinking about an escape…_that's against the rules_."

-BREAK-

Maddie stares out at the castle in the distance and swallows, "Do you understand the wrist-ray, Kwan?" she checks.

"Yeah, Mrs. F," he waves, the weapon glinting, "I'll make sure our stuff is safe – don't worry."

"Be careful," Dash tells his friend, "I'll need you for the game next week."

"He's probably safer here," Mr. Lancer mutters.

"Probably," Maddie agrees.

The three stare down at their feet, down the sheer face of their little island, "So…we just jump…" Dash squeaks, taking a deep breath.

Mr. Lancer surprises them by leaping first, falling only a few inches. He wobbles unsteadily, unsure how to carry himself in the air, "Catch-22!" he swears, "That was…frightening."

Maddie stares out at his floating form and quickly follows suit, though more steadily. Dash crashes behind her, flailing through the air. Stilling, he adopts a familiar pose and flows steadily in the ether.

"Just move like Phantom!" he calls, looping around, "He's got it down!"

The two adults follow suit, soon stabilizing.

"Fascinating," Maddie mutters, directing towards the castle shadow in the distance, "What governs a stable and unstable position? Is it the fine distribution of ectoplasm in the air?"

"Have a safe trip!" Kwan calls.

An hour or so later, she can see the island more clearly, and dials Tucker on the radio by clicking the button for channel four twice.

_"__Yeah, Mrs. F?"_

"It's gray, with lots of dead trees, people milling around…"

_"__Definitely Dorathea's place. She's a blue-haired woman with blond hair in a braid. She'll be wearing this green amulet too; tell her you know Sam Manson."_

"A ghost," she snorts, "I still can't believe you want me to ask for help from a _ghost_."

_"__We don' –"_

"Have a choice. I know, Tucker," she finishes sadly. They fly closer to the castle, alighting with some difficulty by the main gate. Dash lands solidly on his face.

They creep carefully through the iron-wrought gate, more ghosts milling about within the walls. Maddie clenches her fist, ready to draw a weapon in a moment's notice. The ghosts cast them wary glances, but nod politely before continuing on their ways.

A blue-skinned young woman, matching Tucker's description, supervises the repair of a tower with a frown.

"E-excuse me, Your Highness?" Mr. Lancer stutters, catching her attention.

"We don't get human visitors often," her eyebrows draw together, "I am Princess Dorathea, as you seem to already know. Might I inquire as to your names?"

"I am William Lancer," he replies, "These are Dash Baxter and Maddie Fenton. We–"

"Fenton?" she gasps, "Do you know Sir Daniel?"

"My son," she replies, her tongue sticking in her throat and her knuckles popping as she restrains herself from snatching a weapon.

"Oh, you are most welcome! I assume you must know Lady Samantha as well?"

"She said to mention her name," Lancer replies, "We have a bit of a situation, you see…" He launches into a simplistic version of their tale, excluding Danny's death.

She frowns, "That _is_ a problem…where is Sir Daniel? He would be of great help to you, I'm sure. Well, you are already wishing to reach the Far Frozen. Sir Tuck is wise, sending you there; they are great allies. You need provisions?"

Dash smiles, "Yes, Your Highness," his first words to the young woman since their arrival.

"Very well. We cannot spare much – my brother has been causing trouble, you see – but we can certainly provide enough to keep you until Frostbite's kingdom," she orders a couple of maids away, and they return a few minutes later with two satchels of simple food and a few canteens, "Will this do?"

"Yes, thank you," Lancer hands them over to Dash, who accepts them eagerly.

"Please relay my greetings to Sir Daniel, Sir Tuck, and Lady Samantha," she inclines her head briefly, and Lancer takes Mrs. Fenton's arm. Dash takes the other side, and they lead the rigid ghost-huntress away from the castle.

"Let's get back to Kwan, shall we?" Lancer chuckles nervously.

"Yes, let's," she growls through gritted teeth. Her hand itches for her weapons, "We'll check the food when we get back to camp."

"Foley said she we could trust her," Dash complains, "I want a sandwich already!"

"Wait until we can inspect it!" she snaps.

A roar reverberates in the air, and the tower that was under repair collapses in a cloud of dust. A black dragon flies from the wreckage, his eyes burning red.

"Dorathea! You stupid woman, you will _pay_!"

"That's not good," Dash squeaks.

The woman leaps into the air, shifting into a pale blue dragon, "This _stupid woman_ has beaten you before!"

She reaches for his neck, where an amulet rests, glowing softly. He twirls, his tail catching her just beneath the ribs. She crashes into the other tower, and he roars in triumph. Maddie's bazooka is already in her hands, and she pulls the trigger on the shadowy beast.

He glares down at the little group of humans, smoke oozing from his nostrils, "_Humans_," he growls, "You put your silly modern ideals into my sister's head!" He dives with outstretched claws, and the ghost huntress prepares to fire again.

-BREAK-

The roar rings through the air, and Danny nearly drops his shirt. In the distance, he can see Dorathea's castle, a familiar dark cloud forming overhead. He looses a snarl, pulling his shirt back on.

"Goin' Ghost!" he shouts, but the light only appears briefly before fizzling away. He attempts to summon a ghost ray with the same result, "Low on power, huh?" he mutters, "If I…if I was dead…" his mouth dries, "it must've taken every last bit of ectoplasmic strength to heal me."

He shakes himself, shoving away the ice creeping up his spine. Turning towards the castle, he can see green flashes of light with his heightened vision. _Mom!_ He realizes, and turns briefly to Kwan, who still sleeps peacefully. Assured, he leaps over the edge, flying as quickly as his human form can take him to the shadow.

He hopes to make it in time.

**A/N: Read, review, and I hope you enjoyed Ch. 9! Look forward to Ch. 10! Maddie-Danny reunion! It's a little choppy because everybody's doing different things right now, but it'll eventually settle into four solid groups. :D Thanks to all who've reviewed/faved/followed!**


	10. In The Breath

**A/N: Almost 70 reviews, people! Woo-HOO! I'm glad you're all enjoying this fic so much! Without further ado…Chapter 10!**

Ch. 10

Maddie dives to avoid shredding claws, coming up to fire three more shots at the ghostly black dragon. He roars in pain, batting her away with a wing. She flies into a stone wall, stars dancing in her vision.

"Mrs. Fenton!" Dash and Mr. Lancer cry from the safety of a doorway, an unconscious Dorathea sitting between them.

"I'm fine!" she shouts, "Just get out of here!"

"You won't be fine for long!" Aragon snarls, snatching her in his claws and flying high above the kingdom. A green cloud grows thicker above them, the smoke curling from his nostrils. She squirms in his grasp, her weapon charging with a thin whine.

But it suddenly falls quiet; pulling the trigger doesn't help. Her heart pounds in her ears, and the weapon falls from her shaking grasp. The dragon grins – as much as a dragon _can_ – and leans forward, making them almost nose-to-snout.

"Learn your lesson, pathetic _woman_?" He hisses, "A human like you could ne–"

"Never have hygiene as bad as yours?"

Her heart stops as the amulet falls from the beast's neck, she _knows_ that voice…but it couldn't be…!

The dragon's form shimmers and shrinks, the claws disappearing from around her waist. The long-haired man with red eyes yelps, diving for the amulet, but a blue claw reaches it first. Dora snarls, snatching her brother in a separate claw; but Maddie Fenton doesn't notice the dragon princess. Her eyes are locked on the shadow hovering a few feet away. Her chest tightens, and tears leak from her eyes.

"…Danny?" she whispers.

He smiles back at her sheepishly, his lively blue eyes seeming out of place above his bloodstained shirt.

"Hey Mom," his voice sound rough and dry.

She sweeps him into her arms, "H-how…?"

He tightens under her grasp before squirming away, "Um…well…Hey! Dora!"

"Sir Daniel!" The dragoness waves jubilantly, "How are you?"

"Good," Danny replies, smoothly flying down to meet her. He lands perfectly, his feet making hardly a sound, "…I think."

The dragon shrinks back into a young woman, her eyes drawn to the shirt, "You are…quite resilient, then," her eyes brim with worry.

He rubs the back of his neck, "Yeah…do you have something I could borrow? This shirt is ruined."

"I'm sure we have a spare tunic somewhere," she replies, sending her maids off once again with a brisk wave.

"Thanks," he smiles, "How did Aragon get the amulet anyway?"

She frowns, "It seems that my brother still has a few loyalists. They will be punished accordingly and monitored."

"Good idea."

"Then if you'll please excuse me, I have some clouds to burn away…again."

"…Fenton?" Dash emerges from his hiding place, his blue eyes devouring his bloodless face, "How…?"

"Yes, I believe we'd all like to know how you've returned from the dead, Daniel," Mr. Lancer raises an eyebrow.

"Sir Daniel," a maid offers a black tunic, and he's grateful for the distraction as he whips off the stained shirt and reaches for the bundle of cloth.

"_The Gladiators!_"

"Holy crap, Fenton!"

Maddie bursts forward, swiping her son's hand away from the tunic. Her eyes lock onto every scar that criss-crosses his chest and arms. Some show signs of stitching, and others look like burns. She's never noticed any of them, and the realization burns in the pit of her stomach. What kind of mother _is_ she to let her son get this injured without ever noticing?

Dash also stares, but he's less concerned about the scars and more concerned about the six-pack that they cover. He can see every muscle moving beneath the skin of his bare arms, still thin, but no longer wimpy. He hadn't been hallucinating; the smaller boy _had_ been hiding an athletic body under his baggy clothing…but why?

"Um…M-Mom?" Danny stutters, his blue eyes staring at her worriedly, "Can I put the tunic on now?"

"What…? What have you been _doing_, Danny?!" she shouts.

Fear flashes through those sapphire orbs, "Can we worry about this later?" he inquires, shoving her arms away and pulling on the tunic, "I still don't even know what's going on!"

"What do you remember?" Lancer inquires, his eyes flicking between mother and child.

"There was this…loud keening noise," he rubs at his neck and stares at the ground, "And then…I blacked out. By the looks of the campsite, I'd say there was an explosion…" his head rockets upward, "Where are Sam and Tucker?"

"Safe as we are, from what they've told us," He replies, "The explosion separated us. We've been talking to them through that," he points at Maddie's Fenton Phone.

"So what are you doing here at Dora's castle?"

"Foley told us to go to some place called the Far Frozen," Dash answers, "But we needed more supplies," he lifts his satchels of food.

Danny's stance has shifted from a nervous slouch, adopting a more confident posture, with his arms crossing over his chest, "That was a good call. Frostbite can get us back home quickly using either the Infi-Map or the shuttles he modeled on the Speeder. Not only that, but his medical facilities are top-notch," the tone of his voice matches Tucker's, calm and analytical; commanding, even.

Lancer studies his student; Danny's been doing better this year than he had been previously, but he's not familiar with this practical mindset. There was never any doubt that he was the leader of the trio; he is the glue that holds Manson and Foley together despite their opposing philosophies. Regardless, he's never seen this form of Daniel Fenton, confident, serious, alert, and focused, like a soldier.

"Let's get back to Kwan – he was asleep when I left. I'm not too worried about other ghosts in this area, but we still shouldn't leave him on his own for too long," he strides for the border.

"Thank you for your assistance, Sir Daniel! Relay my greetings to Sir Foley and Lady Samantha!" Dora calls from above.

"No problem, Dora!" he waves, stepping into the air; he doesn't wobble at all, his body immediately falling into form. The other three follow less gracefully.

"So…" Mrs. Fenton begins, flying up beside her son, "You've been in the Ghost Zone before?"

He shifts nervously, "I accidentally came here the first time when you and Dad were arguing over your anniversary my freshman year. I hit reverse and backed right out, but…" he shrugs, "later, I hit Dad's present for you into the portal by accident, and I was scared you were getting a divorce, so I went to get it," he chuckles and shakes his head, "You were talking about Aunt Alicia's divorce party."

"But you kept coming back," she states.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How did you meet Dorathea?"

"Well, actually, I _saw_ her the first time before the dance…freshman year. She has this amulet that turns you into a dragon when you get angry. I accidentally gave it to Paulina, who accidentally gave it to Sam after confessing that she'd only accepted going on a date with me because she thought it'd tick her off…Sam turned into a dragon. She was roaring 'shallow girl!' It was a bit of a trick, getting that amulet off of her," he laughs, "She had a nasty headache for her trouble; asked me if someone spiked the punch."

_No wonder Sam hates Paulina_, Maddie thinks to herself.

"But I actually _met_ her during that beauty-pageant fiasco. Sam was kidnapped by Aragon who wanted a 'perfect human wife.' Tuck and I came after her, and met Dora. Sam was teaching her how to be an independent, modern woman, and convinced her to fight her brother."

"I see…" she frowns, "…so you've been ghost-hunting?"

"…yeah," he replies quietly.

"And you didn't tell me…why?"

"I didn't want you to worry. Tuck, Sam, and I…we have a good system going."

"So the late nights when you come home after curfew?"

"Ran into ghosts and couldn't make it home in time," he confesses.

He'd always had this expression when she scolded him for being late; it said that he couldn't help it. It wasn't his fault. Now she knows why. She knows why he's always coming home late, tired and dirty.

"Is that why you always vanish during class too, Mr. Fenton?" Lancer finally asks, having floated behind them to listen, "Do you have some sort of device that warns you?"

"Yeah," he replies nervously.

"And why your grades have suffered?"

He winces, "Yeah…they're better this year. Sam and Tucker take notes for me, since I can handle most of them myself in a pinch. Either that, or the Red Huntress," he adds.

"Or Phantom!" Dash shouts.

"Yeah, him too."

They lapse into silence, eventually landing on the rocky island they started from. Kwan bolts from behind a pile of scraps.

"Mrs. Fenton!" he shouts, "Danny–"

His mouth hangs open, his eyes breezing over the blue-eyed teen, who smirks and holds his hands up in his best box-ghost imitation.

"Beware!"

He yelps and stumbles backwards with a curse.

Danny snickers, earning a disapproving glare from his mother. Her eyes narrow in concentration briefly, changing her stare from disapproval to skepticism, "So…Danny…now that we're back at camp…how are you alive?"

"I need to talk to Sam and Tucker," he holds his hand out for the Fenton Phone, casting his most disarming and innocent smile.

She takes a step back, "I want your explanation first," she growls, drawing a weapon, "How can I be sure you're my son and not just some ghost that's impersonating him?"

"I've already told you the _entire story_ about meeting Dora and exploring the ghost zone; isn't that personal enough?" His hands raise in surrender, and he eyes the blaster warily.

"If you're possessing his body, you could gain access to his memories."

"The term ghosts use is 'overshadowing'," he comments, "But you want my honest answer? I don't know how I'm alive."

Her blaster twitches.

"Early freshman year, you and Dad finished the Ghost Portal, but it didn't turn on. Remember when I told you it just started itself when Sam, Tuck, and I were down there?"

She nods slowly.

"I lied. I was inside the portal," he watches her eyes widen; "I hit some switch in the wall and got zapped half to death. Since then, your experiments have gone off around me. I think I probably got some ecto-energy in my system, because I've healed faster since then. I'd get a paper-cut and it'd be gone by the end of the period. Then there were the injuries I got ghost-hunting."

"Injuries are one thing, Danny!" she shouts, her grip tightening on her weapon, "You…you were _dead_! Ice-cold, your heart wasn't beating, you weren't breathing…" her breath hitches, "And now you're just...okay?!"

"Sam and Tucker can confirm my story," he takes a slow, deliberate step forward, "They were there when I got zapped."

"You can't prove that you're _my_ Danny," she whispers.

"You can't prove I'm not," he replies, the blaster now pressing against his chest, "…the Fenton-Phone?"

She pulls it from her ear and places it in his outstretched palm, "Channel four. They told us to click twice if we needed to talk to them."

"Only because it wasn't me," he replies, placing the radio in his ear and clicking to channel four.

_"__We just finished talking to Pandora. Have you heard from Mrs. Fenton?"_

_"__No, I was just about to check in–"_

Danny grins broadly and takes a deep breath, "Beware! I am the Danny-ghost, master of all things boyfriend-ly and doom-filled monologues, and I am full of remorse for missing out on Pandora's luncheon – _of doom!_ – with my girlfriend!"

_"…__Danny?"_

**A/N: Now the moment we've all been waiting for! Well…sort-of…it's not a physical reunion. A big THANK YOU to all who have faved/followed/reviewed! I hope you continue to do so!**


	11. In The Acropolis

**A/N: HOLY MOLEY! MORE THAN 80 REVIEWS! I...I feel so loved, guys. T^T *Moved Tears* I love you people. *Sniff* Longest chapter I've written, FYI! Yay! Enjoy!**

Ch. 11

"Who goes there?!" a voice roars from behind the golden door.

"It's Sam Manson, Pandora!" Sam calls, resisting the urge to smirk at the horrified expressions of her classmates…and Paulina.

The extravagant door swings open, revealing a tall woman with blue skin, red eyes, long, pink hair, and four arms. She wears Grecian armor, and a spear stands at her side. A smile splits her face.

"Ah, Sam! How are you, child?" she plucks the teen into a hug.

"I'm well, Pandora, thank you for asking. We have a bit of a predicament, though," she motions to her classmates…and Paulina.

Alex waves nervously, "H-hi, Miss Pandora."

Jaden nods from behind him with a shaking salutation.

Crystal stares at Paulina, who stares up at the ghost with wide eyes. They sweep over the ghost quickly.

"How did you get your hair so thick?"

Crystal shakes her head and rubs her temples, _and here I thought you'd do something interesting._

Pandora laughs, "Well, you can tell me over lunch, if you're hungry?"

"Thanks," Sam replies, "We'd love to join you."

"I could use some new company anyway. I eat with Danny twice a month, but I never feel like it's enough," the larger ghost sighs, leading the group into her palace, "Honestly; he's like a son to me. That reminds me…you're a couple now, aren't you?" she smiles slyly, "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Sam swallows.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He's…he's with another group. I'll explain over lunch."

"Of course," she leads them to a long, marble dining table, "We'll be eating in here instead of out where I eat with your boyfriend, seeing as we have more people."

"So how is the Box Ghost's service coming?"

"It's working," she assures, "He's become good friends with Argos."

"That's good," they take seats near one another, the other students following behind. The room is large and open, the Zone's light pouring between the pillars and glinting off of the gold leafing that decorates the table. Servants bustle in with chamomile tea and honey, which Sam sips gratefully.

"So, this predicament of yours?"Pandora removes her helmet, placing it on the table beside her. Her long hair spills around her shoulders.

"These people are some classmates…and Paulina…from school," she begins, "some idiot decided that a field trip into the Infinite Realms would be a good idea, so they asked the Fentons to bring us here. Danny, Tucker, and I thought it was a stupid idea, but…they didn't listen."

"They didn't listen to the only humans who come here regularly?" the ghost quirks an eyebrow.

"Well…they don't exactly know…" Sam admits sheepishly, "They don't know _anything_ about Danny. As far as they know, he's just a _normal, human_ boy who is always disappearing during class and who gets shoved around by Dash Baxter."

"I see," a smile twitches at the corner of her mouth, "continue."

"Anyway, something weird happened with Danny. He just…passed out…and then the speeder just exploded. When I woke up, I found these four, and managed to contact Tucker over the radio. We tried to get Danny, but…" her voice cracks, "but he didn't answer. Eventually, his mom picked up and…he's hurt, Pandora," she whispers, "Mrs. Fenton thinks he's…" Tea trickles over the edge of her teacup, and she places it down with shaking fingers. The other students stare, some frozen mid-sip.

A blue hand grasps her dark shoulder, "I'm sorry, Sam," tears bud at the corners of her crimson eyes, "I'm sure he'll be fine. Danny is strong; he fought all the way through my maze to tell me about the Box Ghost's whereabouts. He's trained with several of my soldiers when visiting. I'm sure he'll be okay."

"You're right," she forces a smile, "I just have to believe in him."

"Sometimes, that's all you can do, especially with someone like him."

Sam laughs, "Yeah. Anyway, we've coordinated the three groups; we plan for the Far Frozen."

"It's quite a ways," she hums.

"I was wondering if you could help somehow. We'll try to get there in two days, but I'm not sure if everyone here can meet that pace, especially if we're low on supplies. Coats," she adds, "coats would be nice. We'll freeze solid otherwise."

"I'm certain we have some you can use," she replies, taking a bite of her stuffed eggplant, "Though I would still suggest that you not wander in the Frozen Lands longer than you must."

"I'll go straight to Frostbite," Sam assures, "I have to tell him about Danny's…situation."

"Wise choice. He can be a bit…exuberant about Danny, no?"

"You know how it is with a boy and his snow monster," she chuckles, and Pandora follows suit.

"…Snow monster?" Jaden coughs.

"The residents of the Far Frozen are a race of yeti. Big, white, furry creatures. They look vicious, but they're really nice. Their king, Frostbite, has a soft spot for Danny. They can get us home really quickly."

"That's good, because I need a mani-pedi," Paulina whines, inspecting her cuticles, "I wonder what color the ghost-boy would want my nails…"

Pandora raises an eyebrow, glancing down at Sam, "The ghost-boy, huh?" she smirks, "I believe young Phantom has a penchant for black or purple."

"You know the ghost-boy?" the cheerleader leans forward, "He's mine, just so you know!"

"He visits here occasionally."

Sam bites her lip, trying not to smile.

"Really?"

"Yes," the ghost replies, "He's quite skilled with a sword by now. A natural, as it were."

"Of course!" the Latina swoons, "one day, he'll come and save me from a ghost and he'll carry me off to get married–"

Sam buries her face in her hands, her cheeks turning red in her attempts to remain impassive, her shoulders shaking in silenced giggles. Crystal's mouth hangs open slightly, her eyebrows lost in her platinum bangs. Jaden and Alex snicker at the end of the table. Pandora's fist clenches around her spear, her lips pressed into a poorly-suppressed smile.

"Do ghosts even _get_ married?" Jaden wonders aloud.

"Of course we do," Pandora answers, "We date too – if we're interested. Kitty and Johnny Thirteen, for instance. Or Skulker and Ember; Spectra and Bertrand."

"The Box Ghost and Lunch Lady will be married someday."

"And how would you know that?"

"It's amazing what you can know when Clockwork feels forthcoming," the goth replies dryly.

"I see. Danny visits him as well, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. Clockwork teaches him about the politics around here. The Observants, the Ancients, history of the Infinite Realms…all that. Oh, and Latin…he's pretty fluent in Latin nowadays."

"He would certainly be the best tutor on those subjects," Pandora laughs, "At this rate, he'll be a true scholar of our world."

"He also knows a fair bit of Esperanto that Tucker taught him so he can talk to Wulf."

"Another good ally to have," she nods absently.

"Wait, wait, wait," Alex interjects, "Danny _Fenton_ is learning _two_ languages, the history and structure of the Ghost Zone, _and_ gets passing grades in school?"

"No wonder he falls asleep in class," Jaden mutters.

"He's also familiar with all Fenton equipment," Sam adds, "not as familiar as Tucker, but still familiar enough. He's smarter than he lets on; he just has a tendency to put too much on his plate."

"Indeed, and you've only covered half of his life," Pandora mutters.

"That would be _all _of it," Sam smirks at some inside joke, finishing her last bite of eggplant.

As the rest of the group…and Paulina…finish their meals, a few servants come forward with some thick coats, along with a basket of food and a pair of waterskins.

"We'll carry our own coats. Who's willing to carry the basket?"

Jaden sweeps it from the table, "I'll handle it."

"I'll carry the water," Alex offers.

"Thanks," she smiles, before turning to Pandora, "Thank you, Pandora. The food was amazing, and you've been so helpful…"

"Just slap Danny for me when you see him. That boy needs to learn that he can't worry us like this," she winks.

"I'll do that," _after I kiss him senseless…or maybe before…_

She escorts them to the door, "Be careful. Thankfully, this area is relatively clear, but rumor has it that Walker has been on a rampage lately."

Sam's nose wrinkles in distaste, "Got it. Have a nice day, Pandora, and thanks again!"

The group…and Paulina…makes its way down the steps and out into the air, towards the Far Frozen.

_"__Hey, Sam!"_

"Tucker, hey!" She grins, "Survive Skulker?"

_"__Yeah. How's your group doing?"_

"We just finished talking to Pandora. Have you heard from Mrs. Fenton?"

_"__No, I was just about to check in–"_

_"__Beware! I am the Danny-ghost, master of all things boyfriend-ly and doom-filled monologues, and I am full of remorse for missing out on Pandora's luncheon – _of doom!_ – with my girlfriend!"_

She freezes mid-air, her breath catching, "…Danny?" she whispers quietly, "Danny, you're…" Crystal leads the others – and Paulina – away to rest on a nearby rock. Sam makes a note to thank her later.

_"…__as excited as I am that you're alive, man, I'm giving you two some…private time…I'll be on channel three."_

_"__Thanks, Tuck," _Danny replies softly.

"Danny?" she whispers.

_"__Yeah, Sam?"_

"You're really okay?"

_"__For the most part. My powers really used themselves up, but I don't dare gorge myself on the ether here. Remember what happened last time?"_

"Your eyes were green for hours," she laughs, bushing her bangs away from her eyes, "We had quite a time hiding them from your parents. So no Phantom, huh?"

_"__Not right now. I can barely summon an ecto-blast."_

An uncomfortable silence settles over them, and she clenches her shaking fingers. He's alive; _her_ Danny is alive. Tears of relief trickle down her cheeks.

"And really? _Beware?_ Master of 'all things boyfriend-ly?!' Good boyfriends don't let their girlfriends think they're…that they're…!"

_"__I know. I'm sorry,"_ he whispers, _"Not exactly my choice, you know?"_

"I'm going to kill you!"

_"_Finish_ killing me, you mean,"_ she can hear the grin in his voice, _"Getting me into the portal did half of the work."_

"I–"

_"__I wouldn't change it for the world,"_ he replies gently, _"It's quite a ride with you, Sam. I don't regret a single moment."_

"Spew all the sap you want," she sneers, "I'm still going to finish killing you."

_"__For years and years to come,"_ he mutters quietly.

"What?"

_"__Nothing."_

Silence falls again, "So…what was it like?"

_"__What was what like?"_

"D-dying…or…whatever actually happened…" her throat tightens around the words.

_"__I…" _she can hear him shift, and his voice sounds strained, _"It was dark. I…I couldn't tell if my eyes were opened or closed. My chest…felt really heavy."_

She clenches her jaw, _he's okay now, Sam, don't cry. He's alive._

_"__I…realized that I wasn't breathing. It was weird; it wasn't like 'Hey, I'm not breathing, I need to do that!' it was more…"_ he sighs in frustration, and she can see him rubbing the back of his neck, _"I realized something was just wrong. I didn't know why it was wrong, I just…knew. It was so quiet there, Sam. I…I couldn't hear my heartbeat either. I thought the silence was going to crush me,"_ his voice breaks, _"I tried to snatch some of the emotions floating around, but I didn't have the strength. I didn't even realize they were about _me_, I just…"_

She covers her mouth with a shaking, purple-nailed hand to stifle a sob.

_"__And then I heard a very familiar voice shouting at me. 'Daniel James Fenton! Don't you _dare_ do this to me!' It saved my life. Sadness, grief…alone, they have to be pulled in. Anger, on the other hand, has direction to it,"_ she can hear him smiling again, _"It slammed into me and gave me enough strength to reach the others. _You_ saved my life, Sam, from miles away. Ghostly CPR at a distance."_

"I hate you, you idiot!" she sniffs unconvincingly, "If you _ever_ do this to me again…!"

_"__Trust me, I don't want to. Hurt like crazy; in a lot of ways,"_ he winces.

"…Tell me the rest," she demands, "How you woke up, how you explained things to your mom, all of it."

_"…__Maybe we should include Tuck so he knows my story too?"_

"…Fine," she growls, "When we meet up, Daniel Fenton, we have a _lot_ of talking to do."

_"__Yes, my Queen of Ghosts,"_ he growls playfully, _"lots and lots of talking."_

"After I slap you for that comment."

He sighs, _"Yeah. I'll get Tucker. It's his turn, so we may be a few minutes."_

"Got it. We'll continue towards the Far Frozen."

_"__Talk to you in a few…I love you, Sam."_

"I hate you, Danny Fenton," she grins, hearing him laugh on the other side of the radio.

-BREAK-

"…Danny?" Crystal's eyes snap over to where Sam has frozen mid-flight, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, "Danny, you're…"

The blond ushers the others away to a nearby rock to give her some privacy, noting a grateful glance from Sam.

"We told her he'd be okay," Alex mutters.

"Thank goodness we're taking a break," Paulina whines, "I need my beauty-rest, seeing as I can't get a shower. Ugh, why did we have to get stranded in the Ghost Zone? Why not a tropical spa?"

"Gee, Paulina, I don't know why the ghost that attacked us didn't think of that," Alex snips, earning a chuckle from his best friend.

"I don't either," she moans, running her fingers through her long, black hair.

Crystal keeps her eyes trained on Sam, watching her move between distraught, angry, and overjoyed.

"I've never seen Sam show so much emotion before," Jaden comments, following her gaze, "She's usually so calm and snarky. She seems…almost perky, here in the Ghost Zone. And when she's with Danny…"

_She's perky for the sake of group morale,_ Crystal thinks, _she has to lead us in these…less-than-ideal circumstances. Besides, it's probably all she can do to resist the urge to kill Paulina._ _Actually,_ she realizes dryly, _she's probably imagining how to kill her and write it off as an unfortunate accident in the _dangerous_ Ghost Zone._

"…You thirsty, Crystal?" Alex inquires, holding out a waterskin.

She nods, taking it gratefully.

"You don't talk much, do you?" He smiles.

She shakes her head.

"Why?"

She shrugs, _I just don't want to._

"Hm. Well, you're pretty cool; Manson seems to like you, anyway."

_What makes you say that?_

"I mean, you seem to always know what she needs us to do; pretty cool," he smiles.

"So, Snow-Queen," Paulina begins, "You never told me what brand of lipstick you're using–"

_It's not like you can buy it right now anyway._

"–and that's just like…so not cool."

_Like I care_, she snorts.

The corner of Jaden's mouth quirks upwards, "Paulina, she _doesn't_ talk. How is she supposed to tell you?"

"She probably has it in her bag," she rolls her eyes.

_Blue isn't even your color; so no, it isn't in my bag,_ she shakes her head.

"Seriously?" the Latina gasps.

_For the sake of all who can _actually_ pull off blue lipstick; no, it isn't._

"But–"

"We need to get going!" Sam calls, her eyes sparkling, "We need to reach the safety of the Far Frozen as soon as possible!"

"Got it, Sam! Be right there!" Alex responds, holding his hand out to help Crystal stand. She takes it hesitantly, and he grins, pulling her into the air.

Jaden flies up next to his friend and whispers something in his ear, earning an elbow in the ribs, "Seriously, Al?"

"I better not end up on the list, dude."

"Got it," Jaden croaks.

Crystal resists the urge to laugh, _I suppose this could be worse._

**A/N: Tucker's turn next chapter! A BIG thanks to all who read/review/follow/fav! For all who are interested, I did sketches (like I did for the main trio) of 'Team Sam…and Paulina.' The link is on my profile. Enjoy!**


	12. In The Past

**A/N: THANK YOU for ALL of your reviews! You've made Journey of Secrets my most popular fic! So I've done a drawing (A full traditional one) of Sam's dress in Ch.8, for those who are interested; I've also done digital sketches of Tucker's group. All links are on my profile. :D I realized that the links didn't save onto my profile last time…this has been fixed. So sketches of Team Sam…and Paulina, The main trio, Team Tuck, and Sam's dress from Ch. 8 are all uploaded on my Deviantart account. (We're almost to 100 reviews, people! Seriously, as I type, I have 99. What scene from J.O.S. are you most curious to see a still of? I'll consider drawing it as thanks!) Anyway, read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!**

**A/N: Dear Guest (8/28/14), You don't seem to understand that I'm referring to you. If you review every chapter, please pick a name other than "Guest" so that I can sort you out from other "Guest"s and respond to you through AN in future chapters, seeing as I can't PM you. For now, I'm just calling you G828. You're hilarious. And I'm glad you enjoy my stories!**

Ch. 12

"We need to be really quiet as we pass Skulker's island," Tucker whispers to the group behind him, "Beth, keep that lipstick blaster handy," he presses a button on the side of his wrist-ray and the tiny ectogun pops up from the center.

"Y-yeah," she nods.

They walk along the path that passes Skulker's lair, the large, skull-shaped island with bubbling pools of ectoplasm.

"So why aren't we flying? Mikey asks, "I mean, wouldn't we move faster?"

"Skulker has traps in the air. He's allowed this one trail through his space to be sensor-free. Johnny Thirteen drives around here often, and he pitched a fit until he removed them. Well…actually, Kitty pitched a fit."

"Kitty?"

"Johnny's girlfriend. They really _do_ love each other, but he's a player and can't resist using his 'bad-boy charm'," he makes quotation marks with his fingers, "on human girls. Unfortunately, he once tried to use it on _Jazz_. He's lucky Danny didn't reshape his face," he snickers quietly.

"_Danny_?" Lester chokes.

"I can't imagine him reshaping _anybody's_ face," Mikey whispers, "I mean, I'm pretty sure he's tougher than we think, but…he's not…I know he puts up a front to keep Dash's attention, but…"

"Dash is only a mild annoyance to him," Tucker snorts, "He's _really_ protective of Jazz. You've never actually seen him _angry_; trust me, it's not pretty," flashing green eyes accompanied by a ghostly wail run through the forefront of his mind; sky-blue eyes turn to ice. He smirks wryly, "Though I think Sam disagrees. But then again, she's had a crush on Danny for…ever. Since her family first moved here in middle school."

"I thought the three of you had been friends for a long time," Alice frowns.

"Danny and I have known each other since…well, I can't remember _not_ being friends with him. The Mansons moved to Amity in the middle of our seventh-grade year. She transferred in after New Year's."

"So how did the two fated lovers meet?" Beth smirks, glancing around warily at the sky around them.

Deciding it'll ease the tension of the group, he takes a deep breath, "Well…she didn't seem too sad about moving. She never liked being in New York anyway. She's not fond of the wealthy lifestyle, so she thought it was actually nice to move to a smaller town," he chuckles, "Especially one named _Amity_ Park. It's like a horror movie, you know? Anyway, Danny and I were in the auditorium for the after-holiday _mandatory_ assembly; you know, where they remind you of all the school rules, as though you've forgotten in a few weeks? Well, we were sitting towards the back, and Sam came in late from finishing some last-minute registration stuff. She asked if she could sit down, and Danny said it was fine."

"Their eyes met, and a fateful love began," Alice jokes.

He laughs, "We already knew the rules, and Sam had just finished reading all of them and signing off those agreement papers, so she didn't need to be told again. She and Danny got to talking."

-BREAK-

_"__Can I sit down here?"_

_Danny's head snaps up from Tucker's PDA, sapphire meeting amethyst. The girl standing in the entryway is dressed all in black, with her hair cut in a bob._

_"__Yeah. Go ahead," he smiles._

_"__Thanks," she sits down, clutching a bundle of books and papers to her chest._

_"__I'm Danny Fenton," he extends his hand, "And the guy on his PDA is Tucker Foley."_

_Tucker raises his head with a noncommittal nod before returning to his game._

_"__Samantha Manson. Call me Sam," she replies, "My family just moved here."_

_"__Transferring in the middle of the school year?" he frowns, "That's rough."_

_"__It's no big deal," she shrugs, "I didn't really like anyone at my own school anyway. They were snobs."_

_"__Well, I doubt you'll be escaping the rich and snobbish elite completely," Tucker snorts, "Amity has a lot of rich families. Baxter, Sanchez, Grey…"_

_"__Oh, I'll never escape them," she mutters. The boys ignore her comment._

_"__Tuck, hand it back over. I want to practice on the simulator again," Danny hisses. Tucker grins, and pulls a second PDA from his pocket._

_"__This one has the same program," he smiles, "Good luck, Buzz."_

_"__Shut up," Danny elbows._

_Sam watches him load a NASA Spaceship Simulator, the screen illuminating his blue eyes, "You like space?"_

_"…__Yeah," he replies, "Being an astronaut would be awesome! I'm going to do it someday; I'll see the Earth from a distance," a childlike excitement sparkles in his eyes._

_"__And I'll design all of the electronics for you," Tucker smiles, "But I'll keep my feet planted on terra firma, if you don't mind."_

_"__Never have, Tuck."_

_"__That's really cool," Sam smiles, "I still have no idea what I want to do."_

_"__Well, we aren't even in high school yet," Danny shrugs, "You have plenty of time."_

_"__My parents have their own ideas already," she growls._

_"__Join the club," Tucker chuckles, "Danny's parents have had his occupation all picked out for years."_

_Danny makes a face, "Yeah…no. I am _not_ taking over Fentonworks. I couldn't care less."_

_"__Fentonworks?"_

_"__Yeah, his parents are–"_

_"__Tuck!" he hisses, "don't!"_

_" –__ghost hunters!"_

_Danny moans, his hand sliding down his face. His fingers separate so he glance at Sam._

_"__Ghosts? Like…boo?"_

_"__Yeah," Tuck grins, "The Fentons are determined to prove they exist. They're working on some project to drill a hole into the ghost world."_

_"__Tucker…" Danny sighs._

_"__Dude, your parents are like…mad scientists!"_

_"__Yeah, and the whole town knows," he moans._

_"…__I think it's cool," Sam states quietly. Danny whips around to stare at her. His eyebrows are drawn together, as though she's said something highly unnatural._

_"__Nevermind, Tuck, ghosts exist. She's obviously possessed."_

_"__I am not!" she laughs, shoving him lightly on the shoulder, "I'm just a goth; we like the morbid and creepy."_

_"__Well then, welcome to Amity Park, a town so full of horror movie puns it might as well be a television set."_

-BREAK-

"…and then she had several classes with us, so…yeah. We started hanging out together," Tucker finishes with a shrug, his blue-green eyes flitting around as they near the island, and he motions for silence. The group behind him obeys nervously.

Music can be heard in the distance, a tune familiar to the residents of Amity Park.

"Is that…?" Beth breathes.

_"__Ember, you will remember! Ember, nothing remains! Ooh Ember, so warm and tender! You will remember my name!"_

"Oh yeah," Tucker mutters, "I forgot that she's dating Skulker. Crap!"

"Wait…Ember McLain was a _ghost_?!"

"She has a _boyfriend_?" Lester wails quietly.

"You people honestly had _no_ idea," he hisses in disbelief, "Why are you surprised? We're _Amity Park_, the most haunted city _in the world_!"

"Good point," Beth replies.

"I tend to make those," he growls, "We have to keep moving. Hopefully, Skulker's busy with his _amore._"

"Nah, he's too busy trying to track a ghost he insists stole his remote," someone comments from the air above them, "So I'm free. Aren't you lucky?"

Ember McLain floats lazily overhead, leaning on her hand in a pose reminiscent of the popular 'draw me like one of your French girls'-meme.

"Ember, we're just passing through," Tucker states evenly, "You have no reason to bother us."

"I don't know…it'd really tick that dipstick off," she snorts.

"He's dead, Ember. The explosion that separated us supposedly killed him," he replies quietly, the words threatening to catch in his throat. Her eyes widen and her feet fall into a stand.

"No way," she gasps, "You…you can't be…"

"As far as I know, it's legit," he frowns, "I won't believe it until I see the body, but…you can always find other ways to tick him off _if_ he's actually alive."

She glares at him, and then glances at the trembling teens behind him and sighs, "Relax, I have no reason to hurt my fans. Can't guarantee Baby-Pop though. He's off on a hunt and I have no idea when he's coming back. Don't bother mentioning what you told me; he'll swear up-and-down that it's impossible and then use you as bait."

"Why?" Alice asks hesitantly.

"He believes he's the only one who can kill Danny," Tucker replies dryly, "That's all you need to know for now."

"Yeah. Idiot. He told me he searched the couch cushions, and then declared that absurd of theory of his and took off. I just checked the couch myself, and guess what I found?" she snorts, moving closer and swinging an arm around Alice's shoulder, "Men. Never trust them to find anything. Even if they claim to the 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter.'"

Alice giggles nervously.

"Anyway, I guess I'll leave your guys to…whatever you're doing. I have some songwriting to do," she flies off for the island.

Tucker lets out a long breath in relief, "Thank you, Ember, for not being a villain," he sighs.

"Not a villain?" Mikey adjusts his glasses.

"She…I mean, she's definitely not the most evil of the ghosts. I mean, if you want _evil_, there's Walker, Vortex, Freakshow, Pariah Dark, The Fright Knight, and most importantly, Vlad Plasmius."

"The _mayor?!_"

"_Former_ mayor," Tucker corrects.

"You _knew_ he was…he was…" Lester splutters.

"Danny's known since that school reunion in Wisconsin that he was evil," he retorts.

They pass the island, but he doesn't let his guard down, worried that Skulker might return. He reaches up to his radio, "Hey, Sam!"

_"__Tucker, hey! Survive Skulker?"_

"Yeah," _no need to mention that we might encounter him any minute, _"How's your group doing?" _No need to worry her when she can't help._

_"__We just finished talking to Pandora. Have you heard from Mrs. Fenton?"_

"No, I was just about to check in–"

_"__Beware! I am the Danny-ghost, master of all things boyfriend-ly and doom-filled monologues, and I am full of remorse for missing out on Pandora's luncheon – _of doom!_ – with my girlfriend!"_

His mouth runs dry and he grinds to a halt, a smile slowly curling over his face. Tears sting at his eyes, but he swallows them back, "Dude! You scared the ever-living crap out of us! And really? Stay consistent on your impersonations; that's like…a mix between the Box Ghost and Technus!"

_"__I know, sorry Tuck, I'll…I'll explain everything…"_

_"…__Danny?"_ he can hear Sam whisper brokenly, _"Danny, you're…"_ she chokes on a sob.

"…as excited as I am that you're alive, man, I'm giving you some…private time…I'll be on channel three."

_"__Thanks, Tuck," _his best friend replies softly.

He clicks over to channel three, still grinning like a maniac. He turns to the group, "He…he's alive, guys…Danny's…" he begins to laugh, "That jerk. Sam's gonna kill him – after she kisses him senseless!"

"I'm glad to know he's around here somewhere," a deep voice growls from below, "It means he'll take the bait."

Tucker leaps back, his wrist-ray whining, and places himself firmly between his classmates and the robotic ghost that rises from below to land on the path.

"Skulker," he growls.

"If only we had that little girlfriend of his here," he muses, "But you'll do, tech-boy."

Tucker slowly shuffles to the side, motioning for the others to stay put, "Just leave them alone, Skulker. They have nothing to do with this," he keeps his wrist-ray arm hidden behind his back as inconspicuously as possible.

"I don't know," the robot grins, "They could make fine bait for other prey."

"Like you have better prey," the technogeek snorts, "Not only that, but humans are needy creatures. We're not easy to care for!" he leaps to the side, aiming for the back of Skulker's head. A blast shatters the ground near his feet, and he dashes forward, typing into his PDA between distracting blasts.

_Loading wireless sequence…accessing CPU…unclasping head…_

He fires one final blast at the robotic cranium, which flies off, causing the suit to slump to the ground. Tucker jogs over to the head, reaching inside.

"What are you doing?" Beth inquires, a corner of her lip curled in disgust.

"It's a robotic suit. Skulker's actually…" his fingers wrap around a tiny, ectoplasmic body, "…this little guy," he pulls his hand away, Skulker's tiny body wriggling in his grasp. He grins at the little glob, "Ember found the T.V. remote…it was in the couch. We'll give you back later, when we get back to the Fentons'," he drops him into the thermos.

Her turns back to the rest of the group, who stare at him like an alien life form.

"What?"

"You never move like that in gym," Alice frowns, "How can you possibly be failing gym…with a body like that?"

He looks down, where a blast had grazed his shirt, and swears quietly, "This was a new shirt!"

_"…__Tuck, you okay?"_

Grateful for the distraction, he shoves the thermos back into his pack, "Yeah, Skulker just blew a hole in my shirt. Didn't actually hit me, though. _Man_, it's good to hear your voice, Danny!" He motions for the group to stay put and rest, before moving away for privacy.

Danny laughs, _"Too bad Valerie isn't there, huh?"_

"W-who said she isn't?"

_"__If she had been, Skulker would've been focusing on _her_. He wants to 'hang her pelt' on his wall too."_

"I feel so…underappreciated," he teases.

_"__Don't worry about it. You're our secret weapon."_

"Thanks."

_"__No, thank _you_, Tuck…you…"_ Danny suddenly sobers.

"Yeah, I kept my promise," his voice sounds hoarse, "But, you're alive now…so c-can I…?" Tears threaten to fall down his cheeks.

_"__Yeah."_

He curls into his knees, stifling his sobs. He clenches his hands, wadding them into his cargo pants, and then his sobs turn into raucous laughter, and he falls onto his side, rolling, "Dude. I told everyone I wouldn't believe it until I saw the body. But it was _your mom_ who said you were dead; I mean, she'd be determined to keep you alive, right? Thank goodness she was wrong!"

_"__Well…she was and she wasn't…"_ he replies uncomfortably.

"…oh?" he stops, sitting up properly, wiping his eyes, "Do tell."

_"__I…I wasn't breathing…and m-my heartbeat was gone. Thankfully, Sam's anger flew all the way across the Infinite Realms to provide me with some ghostly CPR so I could get some energy. I didn't even have the strength to snatch energy from the ether…and you aren't just some command center, Tuck."_

"…you _heard_ that?"

_"__Yeah. Thanks. I needed it,"_ he can hear the smile.

"You're welcome. It's true; I don't care if you go full-afterlife; you _will_ be at my wedding as my best man, if I have to drag you from the Ghost Zone."

_"__Duly noted. Let's get back to channel four. I'll tell you and Sam what I told my mom."_

"Yeah, how is she taking the whole 'back from the dead' trick?"

_"__She's backed off enough to allow me some privacy, but she hasn't taken her blaster off of me since we got back from Dora's."_

"So what did you tell her?"

_"__Channel four, Tuck."_

They click over.

_"__Sam, we're back."_

_"__Good. So, continue your story from where you left off with me," _she snips.

Danny takes a deep breath, _"Well, as I said, it hurts like crazy. I felt like my lungs were on fire when I started breathing again. My head hurt, my chest burned, the pain was flowing to my extremities, and my heart stuttering to life sounded like I'd put my head in a thundercloud. I finally managed to sit up, cough up the blood that had flooded my lungs, and I wobbled over to where Kwan was sleeping…"_ he explains the whole story uninterrupted, _"…and then I called you guys and convinced her to back up."_

"So she knows that we've been hunting ghosts," Tucker mutters, "And that you were zapped in the portal."

_"__Is she aware of anything besides the rapid healing?"_

_"__No, but she suspects that I'm possessed or something."_

"Maybe by your own ghost," Tucker snorts, "But you can't just come out and tell her you're a halfa; she'll think you're like Plasmius."

Danny makes a rude noise on the other side, _"I'm not sure if she actually believes it. I think she and my dad still believe he was just a ghost impersonating a human."_

_"__That's not exactly untrue," _Sam comments, _"Besides a heartbeat, what was human about Vlad? He let his obsession control him, just like a ghost. It overcame his humanity. Vlad Masters was just the human skin of a man devoured by Plasmius."_

_"__That's making me feel _so_ much better, Sam."_

"Relax, Danny, you'll never have that problem. You have us to help you keep your obsession under control."

_"__In fact, your obsession is of a completely different nature. Plasmius was obsessed with your mom, and his desire to gain revenge on your dad and steal her away drove him to do everything he did. His obsession was…possession, gained by power. Yours is heroics; and as Tuck said, we'll keep you as grounded as we can. You'll be fine."_

_"…__Thanks."_

**A/N: ...Tucker always gets the longest chapters...**


	13. In the Prison 1

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 13! (We've passed 100 chapters! I've never been so loved on the net! T^T) I know that you all have a question burning in your heads…what about Valerie and her group? I haven't forgotten about them! I just…didn't want to give you too much. I don't want to spoil you. But now…? Muahahahaa! It's another really short chapter though...but it's another chapter! No complaining; this is my second uploaded chapter today!**

Ch. 13

Fuzz. That's what fills her mind. Static snow on a television screen punctuated with the occasional pulse of pain to remind her that she's not suffering a nightmare. She cracks one green eye open, ignoring the stab of pain in her head.

Jack Fenton sits across from her, snoring soundly.

"Lucky," she growls, "Being able to fall asleep after _that_."

A teary face from the center of the room glances at her, "Oh, thank goodness, Val!" she sniffs, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she rasps, "I'll be okay. They didn't touch you guys, right?"

"No, just you and Mr. Fenton."

"Good," she attempts to smile, but stops before it goes too far. Her face hurts too much, "Go back to sleep, Star. You'll need it. Don't worry about me."

She looks doubtful, but decides not to argue; Valerie Grey is well known for her stubbornness. She lies back down, and Valerie lets her own eyes drift closed again. _Do the others know we're here? Are they even alive?_

More static fuzzes up in her mind, and she sighs.

_"…__Va-…hea-…Tu-…"_

_That isn't just static…_her eyes snap open, _that's…my suit?_

"Hello?" she whispers to the air, "I-is anyone there?"

The static clears a little, _"Valerie? Can-hear m-e? It's Tuc-Foley,"_ a cut-off curse tumbles across, _"Stu-Static-cle..."_ the snow disappears almost completely, _"Valerie! It's Tuck. Am I coming in clear now?"_

She resists the urge to laugh and shout for joy, "Yeah…How?"

_"__Just how many security devices are on that stupid suit of yours?"_ he growls, _"It's taken me almost two days to hack into it! Pretty serious hardware. Plasmius may have been a froot-loop, but he knows his security tech."_

"How do you…? The suit…?"

_"__Danny, Sam, and I have known for a while," _she can hear him shrug.

"How long?"

_"__Umm…since you got it?"_

"What?!"

_"__Really, Val, we can talk about this another time. That explosion separated us all. I'm assume you're with Mr. Fenton, Star, Ashton, and Eric?"_

"Yeah…you're kinda scaring me, Tucker," she croaks.

_"__They're the only people not accounted for, including you."_

"Everyone else is okay then?"

_"__Yeah. I mean, Lester has a nasty gash on his leg, and Mrs. Fenton thought Danny was dead, but we're good. We're heading for a place here in the Ghost Zone called the Far Frozen. Where are you? I managed to hack into your communications, but I'll get kicked out if I try tapping into any sort of GPS."_

"Some sort of prison," she whispers, glancing at the door, "There's this ghost–"

He curses loudly, _"Walker?!" _another curse, _"This is bad, Val…are you guys okay?"_

"…Well, I'm a bit sore," she admits, "I think those goons in uniform broke one of my ribs. I've gotten injuries like this ghost hunting," it feels weird to say it to someone besides her father, "Mr. Fenton has a few bruises, but that's because we resist. They haven't touched Star or the boys…and how do you know Walker?!"

_"__Old enemy. You aren't the only teen ghost-hunting, Val. He has a thing out for Danny, who apparently has quite a sentence he's supposed to fulfill."_

"Wait…_Danny?! _Are the three of you…"

_"__Longer than you,"_ he replies simply, _"I'll let the others know. Just…try to make as little of a fuss as possible. I'll keep contact regularly. If you need something urgent, just tell your suit to send an emergency signal to – you'll need to memorize this – 362554583227."_

"Again?"

_"__362554583227."_

"3625…"

_"__5458…"_

"36255458…"

_"__3227."_

"362554583227," she recites, "I'll keep reciting it."

_"__I'll check up on you in an hour. If you can't talk…I was going to say 'cough,' but that's rough on a broken rib…"_

"I'll complain about missing hours at my part-time job," she states, "it's true, but it's specific enough that I won't do it by accident."

_"__Emergency code?"_

"362554583227," she recites.

_"__Perfect. We'll be coming for you Val," _he promises, _"We'll all be meeting up and then we'll come and get you. Stay safe and don't cause a ruckus until then, okay?"_

"Okay," she whispers, "…what did Danny do, anyway?"

_"__What?"_

"To tick off that white-suited jerk."

_"…__knocked his dad's anniversary gift into the portal on accident and was caught 'with real-world contraband' by Walker when he went after it. He was sentenced a thousand years…and then he organized a jailbreak,"_ she can hear him smile, _"Walker's had it out for him since. I don't even _know_ how many years he's racked up by now. Rest up, Val. We're not going to leave you there. I'll check in again in an hour."_

"Got it. Thanks, Tucker," her hands shake with relief, and a tear escapes down her cheek. The static disappears, and she leans against the wall, a small smile playing on her face, regardless of the pain.

"Valerie?" Star blinks sleepily, "Who are you talking to?"

"We're not going to be stuck here, Star," she smiles reassuringly, "They're coming for us once they regroup. They know where we are and what's going on. We're going to be fine, I promise," oddly, she didn't doubt it. Tucker's voice was different over the radio; it was calming, collected and efficient.

"Who?"

"Everyone."

_362554583227..._

**A/N: Tadaa! So, now you know where Val's been and that I didn't forget about Tucker talking in an earlier chapter about hacking into her suit to establish contact! I'll bet several of you forgot about it though. ;P Today is a two-chapter upload day, so lucky~~! I upload as fast as I can when I'm in writing mode, because I know that if I knew someone already had a chapter typed up, but was saving it for another day, I'd be really annoyed…Anyway, read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!**


	14. In The Journey

**A/N: Sketches of Team Val and Team Maddie are linked on my profile! Remember, my writing is fed by reviews. If you lose your enthusiasm, mine drains away too! (Honestly, I'm crediting all of you for the fact that I haven't lost interest/gotten frustrated and dropped it. I've done it in the past.) Anyway, read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!**

Ch. 14

The blaster remains in her hands, her lavender eyes watching his every move. Danny floats at the front of the group, but the Fenton Phone remains with his mother, who had interrogated Tucker and Sam after he'd finished talking to them. Despite their assurances, she'd remained suspicious even after feeling his pulse for herself.

"So, Fenton," Dash float up next to him, casting a cautious eye at the matron, "You and the other two losers have been hunting ghosts?"

"I thought we'd already established that, Dash," he retorts.

"How long?"

"Around the beginning of freshman year," he frowns, "We went over this already."

"I-I know…it's just…"

"Just what?"

"Those scars…"

"None of them are from you, Dash," he snorts.

"How are you failing gym?" Kwan interrupts, "I mean, there's no way…"

Danny's jaw clenches, and he focuses on the world around them. He can sense Klemper nearby, and reaches for his wrist ray.

But his mother had given it to Lancer and refused to return it.

"Fenton?" Kwan notices his tensed expression, "What's up?"

"Be quiet," he whispers, "Everyone up against that boulder," he drags them over, blue mist curling from his mouth.

"Daniel…" Maddie growls suspiciously. She's refused to call him 'Danny' for the time being, and he clenches his fist. It's one thing when someone's pulling the full-name card, but it grinds against his ears in general conversation. The froot-loop calls him Daniel. Not his mother.

"Shh!" he hisses, peering around the corner of the rock. Klemper floats down and looks around, puzzled.

"Where is my friend?" he moans.

"Oliver Twist! Who is that?" Lancer gasps.

"Klemper. Shut up until he goes away!" he presses flat against the rock.

The pajama-wearing poltergeist wanders around for a short while longer before disappearing through the refrigerator door floating above. Danny looses a long breath.

"So how dangerous_ is_ this…'Klemper'?" Maddie raises an eyebrow.

Danny laughs, "_Dangerous_? As the Box Ghost," he snorts, "But he's _really_ annoying. He's lonely, so he's always trying to find a 'friend.' If he finds _you_ he'll cling to you and beg you to be his friend. Getting him off is ridiculously difficult; and cold."

"How did you know he was coming?" she inquires with narrowed eyes.

"I can sense them," he replies nervously, "I've been able to since the accident."

"You forgot to mention that earlier," she growls.

"I'd forgotten about it; it's not like it's relevant to the fact that I'd supposedly _come back from the dead_," he retorts.

"It explains why you're always absent during ghost attacks," Lancer remarks dryly, "You sense them and run off to fight them."

"Yeah, that's the gist of it."

"…does this mean you had weapons at school?" he freezes mid-flight in alarm.

"Just the Fenton Thermos, which isn't harmful to humans _or_ ghosts. Just really cramped until I toss them back into the Ghost Zone."

"And how would _you_ know?" Maddie frowns.

"Because I've heard the complaints," he snickers, _and Jazz sucked me inside a few times._

"So you know ghosts pretty well, huh?" Dash questions.

"Yeah…"

"So you know Phantom, right?"

Danny coughs, catching his mother's angry glare, "Another time, Dash…"

"You totally do!" he grins, "So what's he like? I mean, besides all of the hero stuff–"

"Dash…"

"–es he like any sports? Football, probably. Yeah, he's totally a football guy! You know, I spent some time with him once–"

"Dash!" he snaps, silencing the jock, "_Not. The. Time!_" his eyes track again to a murderous Maddie Fenton, and even Dash shrinks away under her violet glare.

"Daniel, if you're really _my_ Danny, you have _so_ much explaining to do," she scolds.

"Yes, Mom," he squeaks, _I am so dead. I'll have to move to the Infinite Realms for good. Sam's parents will put another restraining order on me. Do those _apply_ to residents of other dimensions?_

"Let's take a break here," she declares, finding another island.

"Can I have the radio back to talk with Sam and Tucker again?" he asks hopefully.

"Not yet," she replies shortly, tapping the button for channel four twice, "Yeah, we're camping for tonight. How are the rest of you? That's good, Sam. You'll be there soon, huh? What about you, Tucker? Out of food and water, huh?" she bites her lip.

Danny leans into her view, waving his hands. She ignores him.

"And you're the furthest away…" she sighs, "…what? You need to talk to Danny?" she curls away, hiding her lips and whispering, "He may not actually be…you know…fine," she hands it over to the enthusiastic teen, who scoots further away from the group.

"Tuck, Sam, you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voices!"

_"__Man, she's…hard to convince, isn't she?"_

_"__She hasn't hurt you, has she?"_

"No, I'm fine, really. She's a scientist; I was dead, but now I'm not. It's supposedly an impossibility," he sighs.

_"__Like the annual Christmas argument?"_Sam questions.

"Yeah, a lot like that. Anyway…you're out of food, Tuck?"

_"__Yeah…but if we take a small detour, we'll hit Clockwork's place. Think he'll give us some supplies?"_

"Probably. That would be the best choice," he nods, "Either that, or camp out and relax until we can swoop over from the Far Frozen to get you."

_"__We'll keep moving. Contact me when you reach the Far Frozen, and I'll tell you where to pick us up. Big news, by the way: I've made contact with Valerie."_

"Seriously!?" he gasps, all eyes drawing to his position, "Is she with the others? Where are they?"

_"__She's with the others…in Walker's prison, dude."_

Danny stamps his foot with a curse and runs a hand through his hair, "This is bad, Tuck. We have to get them out of there!"

"Daniel, get who out of where?" Maddie inquires, coming closer.

"In a second, Mom, I'm getting the details," he holds up a finger.

_"__Right. She and your dad are a little beat up for resisting, but they're okay otherwise. I haven't gotten the details from her yet. I'm checking in again with her in about forty-five minutes. I'm keeping contact short; we don't want Walker catching onto her."_

"Good work, Tuck!" he grins, "We'll get to the Far Frozen and prepare a rescue team. Walker's upped security on his place to account for humans."

_"__I'll let you know when I learn more."_

"Yeah."

_"__So…she's still being suspicious, huh? What does she expect you to do to prove you're…well_, you_? She _doesn't_ actually know you all that well anymore," _Sam growls.

"I don't know, Sam," he sighs, "Maybe once we get home and Jazz corroborates my story…"

"Jazz knows too?!" Maddie growls, appearing over his shoulder.

"Y-yeah…she's known since Spirit Week…of freshman year…b-but I didn't know she knew until after the C.A.T.," he defends.

_"__Well, I'll let you explain the whole Valerie situation. Love you, Fenton. Don't let her shoot you – that's my job."_

"I'll let her know," he sighs, placing the communicator in Mrs. Fenton's outstretched hand, "She says that shooting me is _her_ job."

"So what were you shushing me for?" she raises an eyebrow.

"Good news first; Tucker managed to contact Valerie. She's with Dad and the other three students," he smiles.

"Bad news?"

"They're in Walker's prison," he frowns.

"Walker?"

"Yeah…remember what I told you about my first trip into the Ghost Zone?" he begins nervously, sitting down.

"You knocked your father's anniversary present for me into the portal," she sits across from him, her hand resting on her blaster.

"Exactly. Well…I didn't tell you the _whole_ story…"

"Now would be a good time."

"Yeah. Well," he scratches at his neck, "there's a ghost in here named Walker. He almost never leaves the Infinite Realms, but trust me; it's by choice. He's not exactly a complete pushover. Anyway, when I accidentally came in the speeder the first time, he warned me not to come back. That's what prompted me to reverse straight back out. But when I knocked the present back in…well, he caught me. Apparently possession of 'real-world items' is 'against the rules' – he makes them up, for your information – and I was sentenced to a thousand years."

"_To Kill a Mockingbird,_ Mr. Fenton!"

"Yeah. The other ghosts he'd thrown in there jumped me when they could, but I pointed out that we all had a common enemy. So I…I…I kind of…organized a jailbreak."

Maddie's mouth gapes slightly, between shock and anger. Dash and Kwan stare at him like he's grown a second head.

"Walker's had it out for me since then; and now he has Valerie, Dad, and three classmates. We'll regroup at the Far Frozen and then work out a plan to spring them," he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers, "You see, in the Ghost Zone, _we're_ the ghosts. We can phase through their walls. It's how I've escaped him in the past, so he's definitely added some security to foil me," he sighs, resting his head on his hands, "We won't be doing this in a small group…I'll need to discuss this with Frostbite. We may need to borrow a few soldiers…"

"You've mentioned him before," Maddie states, "Who is Frostbite, and why are we headed to this place?"

"Frostbite is the king of the Far Frozen. It's an arctic wasteland inhabited by a bunch of yeti-ghosts. They appear primitive at first glance, but they have top-notch medical facilities. They'll be able to treat anyone who's injured and they also have shuttles based on our speeder that can take us home. When we get there, I'll head in myself to get them and come back to get you. We don't have any coats, and I don't want to risk anyone getting hypothermia."

"What about you?" Lancer presses.

"I know where I'm going; I can get Frostbite's attention before I freeze to death. I won't be able to move quickly enough if I'm keeping you guys from getting lost."

Maddie glances over her son, his blue eyes almost glowing in the eerie lighting of the Ghost Zone. They're cold and focused; this can't be him, but Tucker and Sam have sensed nothing wrong. Is this what her son is _really_ like? She thinks back to the scars she's seen on his body, and his easy demeanor in dealing with the dead.

She rubs at her temples, frustrated, _I wish Jack was here…_

-BREAK-

"So how is Maddie?" Jack asks.

_"__She's good…kind of…there was a bit of a scare where they thought Danny was dead, but…"_

Valerie relays what Tucker's telling her to the large man, who relaxes, "That's good…but what's this about Danny-O?"

_"__It's complicated. He's alive and well; that's all that matters."_

"Got it," he smiles, "I'll get the whole story later. Thanks, Tucker."

_"__No problem, Mr. F,"_ Valerie can hear the smile in his voice.

"So…tell me more about Walker. Has he ever come to Amity Park?" she whispers, watching Jack fall asleep.

_"__Yeah…remember that whole incident where Phantom became Public Enemy Number One?"_

"Of course I remember!" she snaps.

_"__Well, that was all orchestrated by Walker, who possessed the mayor. Trust me, Val, Phantom was framed."_

"Even if that's true, he still _ruined_ my life!"

_"…__Did he?"_

"Of course he did! I lost _everything_!"

_"__Friends who weren't actually your friends? Expensive clothes? Days where you do nothing but shop, gossip with Paulina, and sip _coffee_?!" _he snarls, _"Is that _really_ a life you'd want to go back to, Val?! I mean, having to work must really _suck_, but would you honestly trade your sled for a life of Benjamins?!"_

"He still caused it!"

_"__Did you ever try to get the whole story from him? I've heard it."_

"Then enlighten me!"

_"__He ran into the dog one afternoon. It surprised him when it snatched him by the boot and dragged him off to Axion Labs. Take a good look at its collar, Val? It had the lab symbol on it; didn't the lab used to use guard dogs to protect its property? Wonder what happened to them when your father installed the new system that rendered them obsolete?"_

"Don't blame this on–"

_"__Just part of the narrative, Val. Phantom kept catching it and putting it in the Ghost Zone, but it has this curious ability to dig its way back out. It kept coming back again and again, until he realized that it was looking for something. It followed him to the labs, and it turns out it was just trying to find the old kennel and get its squeaky-toy back. It wouldn't have happened differently without Phantom, Val. It probably would have gone on longer, actually. Cujo wanted that toy."_

"He's still a _ghost_, Tucker."

_"__And all ghosts are bad?"_

"Of _course _they are!" She growls.

_"__Danielle too?"_

"You…you know Danielle?" she whispers.

_"__Uh, _yeah_,"_ he snorts, _"She's a ghost. Is _she_ evil?"_

"She…" _She's also a _person!

_"__I know Danielle better than you do. Come on, say it,"_ he goads, _"'But Tucker, she's also a _person_!' …right?"_

She grinds her teeth and grips her knee, "She _is_, Tucker."

_"__She is,"_ he confirms, _"But so was Vlad. Not all humans are inherently good, Val. Not all ghosts are inherently bad. Maybe you should think on that. Remember your code?"_

"362554583227," she hisses between clenched teeth.

_"__Talk to you in a couple hours, Val," _he disappears in a hiss of static, leaving her alone with her group again. She frowns at the ceiling, envisioning the technogeek on the other side of the radio. She tries to imagine the expression that matches his tone, but she can't picture anything than the usual, goofy, flirtatious Tucker Foley; this serious young man on the other side seems almost like a different person.

"Having love troubles, are we?" Star grins, one blue eye popping open as she rolls onto her back and stretches.

"I don't like _Tucker_," she growls, "It's official."

She smiles, "Yeah, I'm sure. You're just mad because he's holding his own on…whatever you were arguing about. I mean, he _hacked your phone! _How many guys can do that in the middle of the Ghost Zone with a PDA?"

She winces inwardly, hoping that no one will notice that Walker had already taken it. If she's honest, she doesn't even know how her current black-and-red suit works. How had he even known how to _begin_ to find it? She shakes the thought away.

"Not happening, Star," she growls, curling against the wall, wincing at a twinge in her ribcage, "Just drop it."

"Yeah," she smiles, unconvinced.

**A/N: Aww…Tuck and Val's little radio romance. ;P He's not taking any crap today, Valerie! She's not used to the serious 'command center'-version of Tucker. Remember; links to sketches on my profile. We are at 119 reviews! YAYZ! What scene of J.O.S. is your favorite? Which one do you want to see drawn out the most? Anyway, see you on Ch. 15! I'm expecting the Amethyst-Ocean face-to-face reunion to be Ch. 17! :D I guarantee NOTHING though. *laughs maniacally***


	15. In The Airwaves

**A/N: Sorry for the late-night update folks! I was busy this morning, and then I had to babysit this afternoon, and then I had a headache and had to get rid of it…anyway, here's chapter 15! Yay! Big thanks for all who read/review/fave/follow! I feed on your reviews to fuel my writing! Glad to see people finally noticing the "…and Paulina" joke!**

**KodiakWolfe13: Seeing as I can't PM you…yes, you could totally use the dress design, provided you take lots of photos and credit me. ;P**

Ch. 15

"How much does a superhero make?" Paulina muses, "I mean, it doesn't really matter; my trust fund will totally cover it–"

Sam bites her tongue, holding it back. Crystal glances back at the Latina and then the Goth and raises an eyebrow.

_What is it about her and Phantom that ticks you off?_

"Nothing. I'm just tired of listening to her."

_Then don't._

"She's been chattering nonstop for the past two hours," she growls, "And it's not like there's any other noise to focus on."

"Well then…so Danny's okay?" Alex interjects, "If we're looking for subjects, anyway."

"Yeah…he's perfectly fine now. Except that Mrs. Fenton thinks he's been overshadowed or something," she hisses, "He sounds perfectly fine to me, and I think I'd know better than a parent who never noticed her son was hunting ghosts!" She wishes she had something to kick…maybe Paulina…

"She thinks he's okay now because he's been…overshadowed?"

"Yeah," she frowns, "I know Danny's healing rate better than anyone. After all, it's not like _she's_ been up at three in the morning to tend to a burn or stitch up some gash he's managed to acquire!" She kicks a foot into the air, "Or seen the look on his face when Tuck or I get hurt; as though it's _his fault_!" She axes it down, kicking an invisible enemy. Alex and Crystal back away, listening to her rant, "She doesn't know _anything about him!_" Her foot swings around one final time, making contact with an invisible force in the air. She can hear it slam through a door further away and freezes.

"Did you just…?" Alex's eyebrows ride upward.

"I think I just did…" she mutters, "Wonder who it was…"

"You have caused me harm, Young Lady," the specter whines – with as much pomp and dignity as possible – in a poor impersonation of a British accent.

"Wait…that voice…" she narrows her eyes, "Youngblood?"

"Indeed, My Lady," he shimmers into visibility, rubbing his shoulder. He's dressed like a knight, his assistant a white horse.

"Sorry, I didn't see you."

"No, I apologize for sneaking up on you," he bows, "You cannot be blamed."

"Thanks."

"Isn't that…?" Alex begins.

"The pirate-ghost who stole our parents?" Jaden finishes.

"Not for any really malicious reason," Sam explains dryly, turning to the group…and Paulina, "It was just part of playing pirate."

"I have since…refined myself," his hand rests on the pommel of his sword, "Where might you be headed, if I may ask?"

"We're on our way to the Far Frozen," she answers.

"Ah, yes, the land of the noble yeti," he strokes his chin, and she bites her lip to avoid laughing, "Perhaps I could escort you?"

"We'll be fine, Sir Youngblood," she plays.

"But how could I leave a group of three lovely ladies to fend for themselves?" Alex and Jaden exchange a look, feeling ignored, "It would make me a poor knight."

"As your shoulder can attest, I am not a woman to be trifled with," she frowns, "Now off with you, before I tell my suitor about this!"

His eyes widen, "Wait, you and–"

"Danny, yes," she smirks, "Now get going. Don't you have some fair damsel to save?"

"Y-yes, Noble Dame," he stutters and begins to fly off.

"Hey!" she shouts, "_I'm not married to him!"_

"Might as well be!" he sticks his tongue out, breaking character briefly before vanishing.

Alex and Jaden laugh behind her, failing to hide their amusement. Even Crystal has a wry smile spreading across her face.

"…what?" Sam asks.

"It-it's just l-like…!" Alex gasps.

"_'__We are not lovebirds!'_" Jaden imitates.

"And w-we _all_ know what came of that!"

Her face heats, thinking once again of her dream, "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she growls, flying on. Paulina still rambles on, unimpeded to her original train of thought.

"So tell us, Sam," Jaden smiles, "when did you realize you'd fallen for Danny?"

-BREAK-

_"__I can see you over there, you know,"_ _he smiles, turning in the suit._

_"__Danny, please," she pleads. _Please don't do this to me. Not now.

_"__C'mon, guys. You didn't think it was always going to be as easy as shoving the Box Ghost into the Fenton Thermos, did you? I'll be back."_

_"__Your mom used the word 'fatal.'"_ _Tucker adds._

No. You can't, you…I…_her heart contracts in her chest, and she can see a coffin in her mind, a pale and lifeless Danny within._

_"__Guys, I'll be back," he reassures, before suddenly becoming nervous. He kneels to eye-level with her, "But…if there's anything you ever wanted to say to me…now might be an excellent time to do it."_

I love you. I love you. I love you, Danny Fenton. I love you no matter what form you're in…_"Uh…I–_"

_"__Humans! Hear my decree!" Pariah shouts, cutting her off._

_"__Well," he grunts, "That's my cue. Tuck, I'll need you to drop the Ghost Shield on my way out, okay?"_

_"__Okay. Be careful, dude."_

_She watches him transform, watching the rings phase over the suit as well, emblazoning his symbol – the one _she_ created – on the chest. She gives him a thumbs-up, and he rushes off. Once he's out of sight, she rushes inside the door and crumples against the wall._

_"__Sam?!" Tucker gasps in alarm._

_"__Tuck, I–" she hiccups, "I didn't get to tell him…"_

_He wraps his arms around her shoulders, "He'll survive, Sam. He has to hear you tell him someday. He has to be my best man in the future. He has too many obligations to die on us," he soaks up her tears with the sleeve of his long-sleeve shirt, "He won't die, Sam. He's a hero; it's his obsession. He won't abandon those who need him."_

_"__That's why he…why he's going to…" she sniffs._

_"__No, that's why he _can't_ die. We _need_ him, Sam. We always will; he'll never leave us."_

_"__Thanks, Tucker," she smiles weakly._

_"__No problem. I'm your friend too, you know," he grins, wiping away more tears._

_"…__if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll tie you up, make you watch me smash all of your electronics, and then kill you."_

_"__Roger that," he mimes zipping his lips, "It'll never leave my lips. Never happened."_

_"__Good, let's go."_

_"__Go? He'll _kill_ us if we go out there!"_

_"__Only if we stay. We can't leave him to fight alone. I know a bunch of angry ghosts who want their homes back."_

I love you, Danny Fenton. I will _always_ need you, which is why you can _never, ever die on me._

-BREAK-

"I don't really know," she lies, "Maybe during that Pariah Dark incident. He got pretty beaten up fighting outside the shield."

"I can't believe that you, Danny, and Tucker have been fighting ghosts this whole time," Alex whispers, "I mean, I can _now_, sort-of…seeing you interact with ghosts, but…"

"What about Dash?" Jaden questions.

She snorts, "_Please_, he's been capable of throwing _Dash_ across the hall since halfway through freshman year! But _no_, he puts up with it to keep that jerk jock occupied and away from those who can't take a punch; and _then_…! _Oh_, and _then_ he and Tucker go and fake failing in gym so that no one realizes that they run around fighting ghosts constantly! Did you know they show up to gym late on purpose? They want all of the other guys out of the locker room so that those football idiots don't notice the _six-packs_ and _scars!_" She finishes yelling and takes a deep breath, massaging her temples.

Crystal flies closer and raises an eyebrow, _Are you okay?_

"Yeah, I'm just…I'm just tired. I'm just ranting about all the things I've wanted to say whenever I hear someone calling them losers. People call me a freak and a nobody, but I'm okay with that; I chose it. But Tuck and Danny…for a long time, they wanted to be one of the cool kids," she laughs, "We – Danny in particular – fight through the night, sacrificing sleep and grades alongside our bodies, saving the very people that ostracize us. What do we get called in return? Losers. Freaks. Bad students. Failures," she sighs, "I just…I get really tired of it, you know?"

_"__I…I had no idea,"_ Maddie whispers over the radio.

Sam snaps to attention, "How long have you been on this channel?!"

_"__The part where you mentioned Dash,"_ she replies shortly,_ "He's been bullying my son?"_

"Yeah," she hisses, "You know, you're supposed to just transmit two short bursts to us if you want to talk."

_"__I was curious what you're hiding."_

"Oh, what, are Tuck and I supposed to be overshadowed now?!"

_"__No,"_ she replies defensively, _"Is it a crime to wonder what _my son_ does on a regular basis?"_

"No, but you probably should have started asking that question _years_ ago!"

_"__He's a _teenager_! I thought he was just going through a phase!"_

"Well, congrats, you were wrong!"

_"__Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't _anyone_ tell me?!"_

"Like Jazz? It's not _her_ secret to tell!"

_"__He's _my son_! His _safety_ should come first!"_

_"__That!_" Sam snaps, "_That_ is why he didn't tell you! You'd try to stop him, Mrs. Fenton! You wouldn't be able to handle it; knowing that _your son_ is out there in the middle of the night fighting ghosts!"

_"__He shouldn't be fighting alone!"_ she deflects.

"He's _not_! He has _us_!"

_"__You're not trained!"_

"Oh, _really_?" she snarls, "I'd like to contest that. I've caught more ghosts than you and Mr. Fenton _combined_!"

_"__Why endanger you two?! Why didn't he come to me?" _she whispers.

"Could you really handle it, Mrs. Fenton?" Sam calms, "The knowledge that he's fighting out there, and can get hurt? Could you handle knowing that he's off being a hero? Could you sleep at night, knowing that any moment, he could knock on your window because he needs help with an injury on his back he can't reach or his arm stitched up? Could you _ever_ get another peaceful night's sleep, without nightmares where he's collapsed in the street, bleeding out and too weak to reach you?"

_"__Well I have no choice now, do I?!"_ Maddie wails.

"He never wanted to trap you here, Maddie," Sam whispers darkly, "Not in this dark, brutal place we've fallen into. This world where dying is _so real_…he didn't want that for you…or your husband."

_"__So what am I supposed to do now that I'm here?"_ she snaps.

"Find the light," Sam replies simply.

_"__What light would that be?"_

"I can't tell you. You'll have to decide for yourself, Mrs. Fenton."

_"__What is it for you?"_

_My light?_ She smiles, thinking of nights spent flying, the intimate conversations over bandages, and the smiles of townsfolk as they go through their daily lives in peace, knowing that a protector watches over the city. The secret glances between her, Danny, and Tucker, knowing that they're the reason for those smiles.

"I spend every moment in this pit with my best friends, including the man I love," she whispers, "And I wouldn't trade it for anything."

-BREAK-

The familiar static fills her mind, and she can't resist the urge to smile, even after her last conversation with _him_. It's become a soothing noise that assures her that she'll be fine. That she hasn't been forgotten.

_"__Hey, Val,"_ his voice is level, waiting for her reaction.

"Hey Tuck," she replies, "How's it going?"

He laughs, _"I should be asking _you_. Well, Danny's group has made it to the entrance for the Far Frozen. Sam's not too far behind, but man, she and Mrs. Fenton just had an enormous spat over the radio! My group is making camp for now; Danny can use a shuttle from Frostbite to get us and we're out of rations, so we're preserving our strength. I expect to be meeting around the war table before nightfall."_

"Night, huh? I can't tell how long I've been here. It doesn't get really bright or dark in here, does it?"

_"__You learn to detect the little differences in light,"_ she can hear him shrug, _"It's an acquired skill."_

"So…Tucker," she sucks in a breath, and the silence on the other side tells her he's tensed, waiting for an onslaught, "I…I'm sorry."

She can almost hear the wires in his mind short-circuiting, _"Wait…what?!"_

"I'm sorry," she repeats, "I've been…I lost my head last time."

_"__You're not the only one,"_ he relents.

"True, but I attacked first."

_"__So…truce?"_

"Yeah," she smiles, "I've been thinking…"

_"__Should I be scared?"_

"Yes," she laughs evilly, "You should be terrified, geek-boy!"

He snickers.

"Anyway…Danielle is half-ghost, with the other half being human, right?" she swallows, sobering suddenly.

_"__Yeah, that's her,"_ he replies cautiously.

"She calls Phantom her cousin."

_"…__yeah."_

"Is…Tucker, is Phantom…also…"

_"__A half-ghost?"_

"Yeah," she croaks.

_"…"_ he sighs, _"Yeah, Phantom's a 'halfa.'"_

"I…" she whispers, "I've been…attacking another _human being_?"

_"__Yeah," _he whispers.

"Tell me what you know," she insists, "is a 'halfa' just a human being with ghost powers? How do they get them? How are they different from other ghosts?!"

_"__Woah,"_ he laughs, _"Slow down there! I'll answer you as best as I can, but…I can't guarantee it's perfectly correct. It's not like we've actually studied this."_

"Just…tell me."

_ "__Well, back in their college days, Vlad and the Fentons were building a prototype for the Ghost Portal. Jack goofed, and Vlad got ecto-energy to the face; he was hospitalized shortly after with a severe case of ecto-acne. After getting out, he slowly learned that he had ghost powers; intangibility, invisibility, flight, ecto-blasts, another form..."_

"So, exposure to a ghost portal? That's all?!"

_"__No…it's _surviving_ large amounts of ecto-energy being introduced directly to your system. Think of it as surviving normally fatal amounts of radiation."_

"Got it."

_"__Thing is, all ghosts have an obsession, Valerie. Vlad's was possession, gained by power. He focused particularly on the idea of having Maddie Fenton, the woman he'd fallen in love with in college. He felt that Jack had stolen her away; seeing as it was _his_ mess-up that landed him in the hospital with a hideous disease. His hatred grew, and so did his obsession. Sam said something poignant once, about Vlad; Masters was just the human skin of the ghost that devoured him. He was consumed by his obsession, just like every other ghost."_

"So…Phantom? Danielle?"

_"__I can't speak for Dani-with-an-'i',"_ he replies, _"But Phantom also has an obsession."_

"Heroics."

_"__Bingo. Not hard to pinpoint, is it? His obsession is not only inherently good, but he has something Vlad didn't; he has friends to keep him from drowning in it."_

"So…" she takes a deep breath, "Who is he, Tucker? Do I know him?"

_"__Just think about it, Val. Now that you know to look for a human being, it shouldn't be too difficult. Just keep it quiet. I need to go; your code?"_

"362554583227."

_"__Talk again after we get to the Far Frozen."_


	16. In The Far Frozen

**A/N: 150+ reviews and nearly 100 followers with 10,000+ views! I love you people so much! ^^ Anyway, just thought I'd let you all in on something: I am planning this to be the first of 3 connected stories. (So far…I may come up with more plots.) "Journey of Secrets" (Early Junior Year), "Adrift" (Spring Break Senior Year), and "Crown of Fire" (Summer Vacation after 1****st**** year of College). If a character you love isn't appearing in J.O.S., they may very well appear in another. :D So no panicking.**

**Amethyst Ocean reunion (in the flesh!) next chapter! *Evil Laugh***

Ch. 16

Maddie sits on an island near the entrance of the Far Frozen, glaring at the blond-haired jock. A cold breeze occasionally blows over, making her skin prickle. She's kept her group's Fenton Phone, but it's silent as Tucker checks in with Valerie. She's just hung up on Sam, who is a few hours behind them.

Dash swallows nervously, his eyes locked firmly onto his shoes.

"You…and Danny…" she begins.

"Yeah," he rasps, "I…"

"How long?"

"For as long as I can remember, actually," he admits, wringing his hands.

"What about _you_?" she swivels her angry violet gaze to Kwan, who flinches as though physically hit.

"Not as much," he defends, raising his hands, "I only did what I had to in order to stay in the A-List. Chase him, mostly. Cheer Dash on…"

She frowns before whirling on Lancer, "Did _you_ know?"

"I don't believe I knew the full extent of it," he sighs, "But I couldn't punish Dash without seeing it myself."

"I was the lookout," Kwan confesses.

"So my son just…gets beaten up every day by _you_," she growls, "And no one ever stops it. What are schools coming to these days?!"

The two jocks sit in silence, staring at their shoes, and Lancer scratches his head nervously.

"If we punish a kid without proof, their parents will pitch a fit. Not only that, but these two are integral to the success of our football team. Principal Ishiyama would never stand for it."

"Especially since one of the troublemakers is her own son," Maddie frowns.

"That too," he admits with a wince.

"So…why?" she softens, her eyes returning to Dash.

"Why?"

"Why Danny?"

He bites his cheek, suddenly looking much younger, "Well…" he exchanges a glance with Kwan, who mirrors his expression. Something in her stomach stirs, and she clenches her hands.

"Is it…because of me?" she whispers.

"Mr. Fenton, mostly," Kwan replies nervously, "But…I mean, before ghosts became so common in Amity Park, you two were the resident weirdoes. You ran around in jumpsuits shouting about ghosts, built weird things, and all sorts of stuff like that."

"Even when we all learned ghosts were real and that you weren't _actually_ crazy, we still picked on Danny because…well…"

"We were used to it," Kwan whispers, "He'd already been established as a loser that we picked on."

"And the other geeks would just curl up quietly while we stuffed them into lockers, but he snaps back, he mouths off, and…"

"It reaffirms your place as top dog in the school," Lancer finishes, "To take down the one that doesn't roll over the moment you show up."

"Yeah, I guess…" Dash shrugs.

"So…Sam said he's been taking it on purpose?" Kwan inserts.

"Yeah," Maddie growls, "To protect the others."

Dash shrinks away, "I…I feel awful about it," he whispers, "The moment I thought he was dead, I…" he shakes his head, looking sick, "All I could think is that I'd practically promised to make his life miserable after this trip and that I never…never wanted him…"

"Yeah," Kwan whispers, "I felt sick."

"I sat there thinking that we should have listened to him, when he suggested reversing back out. He always vanished during ghost attacks, and now we know why, don't we?" he grimaces.

"I had a nightmare that he came back and haunted us, when you left me to watch the supplies," Kwan explains, "I was terrified. All he did was stare at me, covered in blood, and ask me why."

"He just looked so _happy_!" Dash snarls, "He has the most loving girlfriend in the world, a best friend who is practically a brother to him, a hot sister–"

"Don't you ever hit on my daughter," Maddie growls, "She wouldn't give you the time of day anyway."

"–who dotes on him, parents that are home more than once a week, and even when I wail on him, he's back to smiles by the end of next class period! I have _nothing_ but my status! Kwan's the closest thing to a friend I have – no offense, man –"

"None taken," he shrugs.

"My family's rich, but not so rich that I could live from a trust fund for the rest of my life, like Paulina! I'm good at one thing; football, and if I don't make it to pro, I'm doomed to a life of pumping gas or flipping burgers! And then there's Danny Fenton; he just floats through his life, his head in the stars!"

"Or so we thought," Kwan whispers.

"Yeah," Dash calms, "So we thought."

-BREAK-

_Phantom…_Valerie sighs against the wall, _what do I know about Phantom?_ She thinks of his white hair and green eyes…thinking about it, he looks _very_ different than he did two years ago. Older; taller, with a sharper jaw. She thinks of Danielle; _her phantom form looks like a color-swapped version of herself…so if I remove the colors, who do I get?_ _…Does he look like Danielle as a human, too?_ She can feel it; the precipice of discovery.

_White hair becomes black, _dread rises in her chest, _green eyes become blue._

_Danny Phantom. Danny Fenton._

It's _his_ face that stares back at her. _No, it can't be…but they _have_ been hunting ghosts, yet I haven't seen them. No, that day in the park, when Phantom disappeared, Sam and Danny were…_she feels sick, the Phantom in her head being replaced with Fenton, falling after being blasted by her weapon. She chokes up, remembering Danny's smile, welcoming her into his group. The hurt in his eyes when she dumped him; to spend more time hunting his ghost half.

_I…I feel so…_

_Cruel?_

_Stupid?_

"Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom," she whispers, unheard by anyone but herself, "But…does Jack know?" She clears her throat.

"Hey, Jack?"

He rouses from his slumber, "Yeah, Valerie?"

"What do you know about Phantom?"

He takes a deep breath, "He's no-good ectoplasmic scum that I'm going to tear apart molecule-by-molecule!" he suddenly sobers, "But his readings are odd. He's becoming stronger at an astonishing rate. Mads and I can't explain it. His appearance is changing too…"

_Hey! What about the Fentons?!_

_Ha! Are you kidding?! They couldn't catch a ghost if it was living under their own roof!_

_…__True._

-BREAK-

The cold nips at his ears, but nothing too bothersome. As far as he's concerned, the Far Frozen is probably sixty degrees – though more like thirteen degrees to a normal human. He can feel anger wafting from the entrance; Dash, with a little bit of his mother. Anxiety trickles in from Kwan. Glancing around to ensure he's alone, he leaps into the frozen air.

"Goin' Ghost!" the familiar white rings zap to life, traveling over his body as his core is dragged to the forefront. As usual, the first thing that hits him is the lightness of his body. He takes a deep breath, spiraling into the air with a whoop. It's only been a little over two days, but not being able to fly _like this_ has been driving him insane. The sluggish float, only marginally faster than walking, made the trip take _ages_ in comparison to his expeditions in the past.

He stops, far above the white landscape, and lets go, allowing himself to plummet for a moment before throwing himself into his dive, sending flakes scattering into the air. He swerves towards the village, smiling as it comes into sight.

"Frostbite!" he shouts, swinging his legs in front of him and sliding across the ice into the yeti's outstretched arms.

"Welcome, Great One!" he laughs, "We were not expecting a visit today."

"Let's go somewhere private," Danny suggests, brushing back a lock of silver hair, "There's a bit of a…situation."

They relocate to a cozy room, where he sips a mug of hot chocolate while explaining the events of the past few days.

"Your ghost half would be able to hold your human self in a form of suspended animation in order to repair it," Frostbite nods, "At least; that is my theory. You are well now, though? No side-effects?"

He shakes his head, "No, I'm perfectly fine. It took some time to absorb enough energy to transform without tipping someone off, but I'm good."

"And so you wish for us to help you get these humans home?"

"Yeah…but that isn't all. I told you that there's another group?"

"Yes."

"They were captured by Walker," he grimaces, waiting for the king's response.

The yeti frowns – not a reassuring sign, "That is no good," he scratches at his thick nape, "Surely you do not plan on facing him alone?"

"Of course not…Frostbite, it's a lot to ask–"

"The Far Frozen are yours to command, Great One," he bows his head briefly.

"Thank you," he whispers, "I plan for most of the humans to return before we rescue the captives. The only ones staying besides myself are Sam, Tucker, and my mom – there's no way she'll leave."

"The Great One's mother?!" he grins toothily, "It will be an honor to have her fight alongside us–"

"She doesn't know about my ghost half," Danny interrupts, "Not yet. When she and the other students arrive, you _cannot_ call me 'Great One' or 'Your Majesty.' You have to just call me Danny; and for the love of all things frozen, do _not_ let them see the shrine."

"Understood. I will spread the word to the others."

"Thank you, again," Danny smiles, relieved.

"We will ready our shuttles, then," the ghost stands.

"Yeah," he follows.

"Perhaps you would enjoy flying some more?" the monster grins, "While you wait."

"You know…that sounds good – if you don't need my help, that is–"

"Go," Frostbite snorts, "I'll send someone for you when we're ready to leave."

Danny grins and phases out of the caves, once again emerging into the frigid air of the Frozen Lands. He swoops out, racing over the expanse of white. He keeps his body low to the ground, dodging snowdrifts and pillars of ice. Eventually, he allows himself to fall back into the snow.

"…Danny?"

-BREAK-

Sam suppresses a glare at Maddie Fenton, instead shrugging on one of the coats she obtained from Pandora. Her group…and Paulina…had arrived only moments ago, and the other kids…and Paulina…are still welcoming each other with relieved smiles and exchanging stories.

"I'm leaving them here with you," she shouts to the scientist, "I know my way to the Far Frozen, and I have a coat, so I'll be fine. They can stay here with you and wait for the shuttle."

"Why don't you just wait?" Alex suggests.

"Because _Danny's_ in there," Jaden whispers loudly.

"Yep," she grunts, leaping in the direction of the entrance, "I have my radio. Stay off of channel four, Mrs. Fenton!"

"Yeah, all you'll probably hear is her and Danny making out," Alex hisses.

"If not more," Jaden adds. They both earn dirty looks from Crystal, who elbows Alex in the ribs.

"You're right; it's none of our business," Alex relents.

Sam slides down the tunnel-like opening of the Far Frozen, hopping occasionally to the snowy outcroppings.

"I'd forgotten how difficult it is to traverse this tunnel," she growls, her voice echoing against the icy stone. By the time she reaches the bottom, her toes are frozen, even through her boots, and she pulls her frozen fingers into her coat. She points herself in the direction of the Far Frozen and begins to walk as quickly as she can, her breath puffing out in clouds of frost. As she nears, her heart pounds louder and louder in her chest, anticipating meeting with Danny. The past two days have seemed as long as a week, with all of the walking and..._Paulina_ she's had to deal with. As she crests a hill, she can see a dark figure zooming just above the surface of the snow, dodging snowdrifts, rocks, and icicles. Her heart catches in her throat as he stops and falls into the snow with a blissful expression.

"…Danny?"


	17. In The Reunion

Ch. 17

"…Danny?"

Her voice caresses his ears, those beautiful lilac lips dancing over his name. He knows it's her immediately, and he tilts his head back to stare up at her, a blinding smile joining shining green eyes.

"Sam…" he breathes, his eyes caressing her face. Despite her mussed hair, smeared makeup, and a nasty bruise above her eyes she probably doesn't know about, she's the most beautiful thing he's seen in days. He floats to his feet, catching her as she slides down the hill. She buries her face into his neck and he transforms, running his fingers through her hair. Hot tears soak into his shirt, and she trembles in his arms.

"You…you idiot," she whispers hoarsely, "I'm going to kill you."

"Do I get a last kiss?"

"How do you think I plan to kill you?" she growls.

She can feel his heart fluttering in his chest, mirroring her own. She inhales deeply, bathing in his scent. She can't really describe it; it's just _Danny_. He laughs, his comparatively-warm fingers twirling through her hair. His breath seems hot here in the snow, dancing over her ear and neck.

"Poisoned lipstick? I salute your daring," he grins, pulling away a little. His thumbs, roughened by nights of fighting ghosts, brush away her tears. His forehead rests against hers softly. Those blue eyes shine wickedly into her own lavender as he cups her jaw, drawing her closer.

Her eyes drift closed as their lips meet, sending shivers up her spine. His tongue brushes her lower lip, and she quickly allows him in. He's simultaneously hot and cold. Perhaps it's her heart, threatening to burst from her chest, or the cold of the Far Frozen; perhaps it's both. His free hand wraps around her waist, pulling her closer with an almost possessive growl that turns her insides to jelly. Her hands, previously splayed on his chest, climb into his hair, curling around onyx strands. She feels as though she's flying.

When they separate and her eyes open, the pair that gazes back is burning green, with strands of white falling in front of them. They're actually in the air now – a fact that causes her to snicker – and he kisses the tip of her nose.

"We should get you somewhere warmer," he laughs, cradling one of her hands in his, "Then you can continue killing me."

The tips of her fingers throb painfully, and she nods, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

The flight back to the caverns is silent, just enjoying one another's presence. She can't help staring at him, bathed in his unearthly glow until they alight near the caverns.

"Gr-Danny!" Frostbite practices, "And Lady Sam!"

"Hey, Frostbite!" she grins, hugging the furry ghost.

"She came before the others," Danny smiles, turning to her, "I assume that your group is up there with my mom?"

"Yep," she replies, "I'm sure they'll be fine. No one messes around near the Far Frozen. Don't want to deal with your army of vicious attack-yeti."

"Funny," he snorts, "Anyway, we'll be in one of the guest rooms, getting her warmed up. Is the one we used earlier still warm?"

"Yes, Great One," he grins.

"Danny," he reminds, "You should be practicing."

"Sir Danny, then," he presses.

"Still better than Great One," the halfa relents, leading Sam to the sitting room he'd been in before. A yeti brings them both warm cups of hot chocolate and disappears.

Sam warms her hands and feet by the fire, her white coat draped over the back of a chair and her boots laying by the fireplace to dry. Danny sits next to her, cross-legged on the rug, and traces her spine with his fingertips.

"I have been stuck for _two days_ with that…_puddle,_" she moans.

"_I_ didn't decide the groups," he defends.

"No, you didn't. But who did?" she mutters, "I mean, Tuck was theorizing that _someone_ did; five people per group? Isn't that a little…_too_ perfect?"

"You're right," he mutters, "I'm trying to figure out who could have done something like this…and why?"

"Your fingers stopped. I didn't say they could," Sam growls, and his fingers resume their absentminded tracing, following her spine up and trailing along her shoulders.

He chuckles, "So needy."

"You're right," she places her mug onto the hearth, "I need you, Danny," he can hear the same pleading tone; _I need _you_, Danny Fenton._

"I need you too, Sam," he pulls her into his embrace again, "And I will _never_ leave you. I'm sorry that…" He chokes up, nuzzling into her hair. _I almost lost the chance to tell you. I almost…_

He kisses her again, almost desperate, his lips rough and urgent against hers, _I had the same dream; even down to your dress. You were breathtaking – positively unearthly. I felt so…_unworthy_. Sam Manson, I worship the ground you walk on._

_Unworthy? Never, Danny. _She can see it in her mind, his vision of her, haloed by sunlight splashing off the snow as she enters the church. Then the crushing darkness sets in, and she can hear her own voice, pleading for him. Her chest begins to hurt.

_I'm not breathing…_Danny's voice, sounding distant, _I…I have to tell her…_the silence presses down on her, until a heartbeat stutters to life in her ears. Air, painfully cold, swirls into her chest…

"…–am! Sam!" Danny's panicked voice cuts through the air, and she opens her eyes. He's pale, his ectoplasmic eyes wide with worry. He leans over her, his elbows on the rug on either side of her head, his hands cradling her jaw.

"Danny, what…?"

"You…you suddenly passed out," his hands tremble with his voice, "I thought you weren't breathing for a second…"

"Congrats," she replies nervously, _were those…?_ "You've made a Goth swoon, Danny."

He laughs, his eyes fading back to blue in relief, "And you scared a ghost."

"Mmmm," she ponders, her fingers tracing his chest, "…do you have scars?"

"I would hope you know the answer to that, seeing as you've stitched half of them–"

"No, I mean…from the explosion," she swallows.

"Y-yeah."

"Let me see," she pushes at his chest gently, and he allows her to roll him onto his back.

His eyes search her face for a moment before he fully relents, whisking the tunic off with practiced ease. She can find them immediately; they're the only ones she doesn't recognize. The largest one curves along his side, crossing over his stomach; but it doesn't look like it was deep. The deepest one slashes down from his left shoulder, cutting over his clavicle. It starts thin, but ends with a large, triangle-shaped gouge above his heart. Her fingers tremble over it, and she can feel him tense beneath her touch.

"Sam…"

"I know," she whispers hoarsely, "I…I'm fine, Danny."

_I don't believe you._

"Really, I'm okay," she reassures, but catches his confused stare.

_You know, I felt like something was off earlier…_

"Really? What?"

His mouth falls open, _Sam…can you hear this?_

"Of course I can, you–" she freezes, "You're…not talking."

_No._

"Is this some new ghost power?"

"I…I don't know," he mutters, "You…aren't in my head _all_ the time, are you?"

"I'm not right now…" she replies, "But…" _can you hear me when I do this?_

"Yeah," he takes a deep breath and sits upright, rubbing his neck.

"I hope this isn't a constant thing. I expect privacy in my own thoughts, ghost-boy."

"Same here," he blushes.

"So…"

"Gre-Sir Danny!" Frostbite barges in, "The shuttles are ready, and food is prepared. Shall we go?"

"Yeah," Danny nods, about to stand.

Frostbite raises an eyebrow, noticing his half-dressed state, "You and Lady Sam may stay here for the time being. You have a communication device, yes? You can tell them from here to expect us," he swings out the door as quickly as he'd emerged.

"Okay…" Sam smiles, leaning against her boyfriend's chest, "I'm feeling tired anyway, and I don't want to see that stupid little–"

He laughs, pulling her closer and leaning against an armchair, "We're going to have to tell Tucker about this."

"Do we have to?" she grimaces, "I can already hear the inappropriate jokes and comments…"

"Yeah. He might be able to help us figure it out. Call him on the radio."

-BREAK-

His sides hurt; the members of his group stare at him as though he's lost his mind. Tears leak down his face, "D-dude, the two of you…!" he loses himself in another burst of laughter.

_"__This isn't funny, Tucker!"_ Sam snaps.

"It totally is!" he squeaks. His face hurts; he's been laughing like this for nearly fifteen minutes now, "Could you two _get_ more…!"

_"__Tucker,"_ Danny growls, _"She's seriously contemplating your murder."_

"You would know, wouldn't you?!" he cackles.

_"__It isn't working now. We…we're not really sure how it works," _Sam explains.

_"__But it definitely happened,"_ Danny adds hurriedly.

"Oh, I believe you," he sits up, wiping tears from his eyes, "Ghosts exist, why not telepathy?"

_"__But _why_? This hasn't…"_ Sam trails off, _"Actually…it kind-of has."_

_"__Nocturne" _Danny rasps, _"I figured he just…purposely gave us the same dream…"_

"So this isn't _exactly_ new," Tucker snorts, "Congratulations! You've leveled up to a whole new level of 'couple!'"

_"__This isn't some game, Tucker."_

_"__Maybe our reunion gave us the required EXP?"_

_"__Both of you, stop with the game analogies,"_ She demands, _"We need to figure this out. I…I love you, Danny, but I don't need you to _literally_ be in my thoughts at _all times_."_

"Not sure if you'll have to worry about that," Tucker leans back against a rock, "From what you've told me, it seems to be extremely directional. Things you want to say, or would say if your _lips were free_. Not just…random snippets."

_"__That's comforting,"_ Danny says sincerely, _"I love you too, Sam, but…"_

"He _is_ a teenage boy," Tucker smirks. He can almost hear Danny turning red on the other side of the radio.

_"__Well…"_ Sam clears her throat, _"Frostbite's people should be there with a shuttle in half an hour. He's gone to pick up Mrs. Fenton and the others."_

"Roger that," he grins, "So, anything else weird happen?"

He can hear vehement whispers on the other side, _"…nope,"_ Danny replies unconvincingly.

"Okay," Tucker shrugs, "See you in about an hour."

_"__Yeah. See you, Tuck."_

-BREAK-

"Do you think that was connected to the…telepathy thing?" Danny inquires, thinking back to earlier, when she passed out.

"Yeah," she replies hesitantly, "I…I think…I think I was seeing your death, Danny."

"I was thinking about it," he admits quietly, "I was just so…scared. I realized that I'd almost…it just suddenly became more real. I thought that I'd almost left this world without being able to tell you that I'd…I'd had the same dream. That I loved you one final time…I just…" he buries his face in his hands.

_I'm not ready to die._

**A/N: So, was it as good as you expected? Lame? I hope is wasn't absolutely awful. ;P I've never had a boyfriend – unusual for someone almost nineteen, I know – and I think it probably shows...anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story! The whole telepathy deal is based on Butch Hartman's original concept, where Sam had a psychic connection with Danny. There were still occasional hints of it in the show, though (like Frightmare), so I wonder if he would have brought it into the show again if it'd continued…Anyway, remember to read/review/fave/follow! (This story has 101 followers at this time!) See you Ch. 18!**


	18. In The Airwaves 2

**A/N: Thanks for your continued support! To those who are interested, I've started an AU Phantom fic called "The Funeral Singer." Only 800 words so far, but that's just the beginning. It probably won't be updated as often as J.O.S., but it's an idea I couldn't get out of my head; so swing over and check it out! REALLY short chapter here, but second upload of the day…for only this story! Including my new story, this is upload #3!**

Red eyes glare at a screen, "No one other than the Huntress has noticed?" he snorts, "pity. But I suppose it shall make the show that much greater!" he stands, whirling to snatch the black top-hat from its place on the rack and flips his red coattails.

A woman waits in the doorway, her green skin covered in tattoos; a tattered red cape falls to her heels.

"Perhaps it's time we get ourselves into the ring, my dear," he grins, offering his arm, "We wouldn't want to miss the performance we've been planning for so long, now would we?"

She pulls her hood up over her head and silently places her hand on his arm. He pulls a shimmering amulet from his pocket, tangling the chain around his fingers.

"With this, we can defeat him," he smiles, "We can get revenge for what he did to me," as he says this, his form shimmers briefly, as though a mirage.

She places a comforting hand on his chest.

"He will pay, Lydia. Danny Phantom – no, _Fenton_ – will feel my wrath!" he waves the amulet in the air, creating a shimmering curtain, which the couple promptly disappears through.

-BREAK-

_"__So you've figured it out, Val?"_

"I feel so _stupid_," she groans, "and…horrible, Tuck," she curls her knees to her chest, burying her face in them, "I mean, I…"

_"__He doesn't blame you, Val. Never could. He could be a little frustrated, but _hate_ you? No,"_ he comforts.

"Who else knows?"

_"__Jazz, Sam, and I are it…besides his enemies. A _lot_ of them know."_

"So…how did it happen?"

_"__Danny's parents had continued working on a ghost portal after their marriage. It became bigger; big enough to travel through this time. That portal is their greatest accomplishment. Anyway, the day came to start it up. They plugged it in…and got nothing. They gave up. A few days later, Danny showed Sam and I the lab. His parents never let us down there, but we begged and begged. So, while they were out, we snuck down there. Sam convinced him to go into the broken portal. He was hesitant at first, but he eventually pulled on his white hazmat-suit and went inside. He hit a button or something in there, because…"_ she can hear him choke up, _"The next thing we know, there's this bright flash and Danny –"_ he takes a steadying breath, _"Danny screamed. It was awful, Val. When the light went away, Sam and I couldn't even move. We just…stood there until Danny stumbled out as Phantom. Sam ran over first. He was really out of it. He passed out, and when Sam tried to catch him…he phased right through her. When he hit the ground, he turned back into the Danny we all know and love. We checked his vitals; scared the crap out of us. His heartbeat's really slow now, and I swear he only breathes like…every thirty seconds. Sam was crying – don't tell her I told you – because she was afraid she'd killed him. We carried him up to his room and kept an eye on him as best as we could. When his parents asked about a now-working portal and what we'd been doing in the lab – Sam left a photo down there by accident – we told them it'd just turned on. He's been a half-ghost ever since."_

"So…the Fentons literally _cannot_ catch a ghost living under their own roof," she suggests, hoping to lighten the mood.

_"__Yeah,"_ he laughs, _"Oh, and it just got better; apparently he and Sam have somehow developed telepathy. Oh, the potential!"_

"Potential?"

_"__Don't worry about it," _she can hear him grin.

"So you're in the Far Frozen now?"

_"__Yeah. Just finished eating. You should've seen Mrs. Fenton's face! She looked almost ill, like she'd been fed something rotten. She's fascinated by the medical tech, though. Frostbite's nearly called Danny 'Great One' – their name for Phantom – multiple times. Danny and Sam haven't let go of each other since their reunion. There's some romance going on between Alex and Crystal too."_

"They'd be a good pair," she laughs, "He's talkative and she never says a word."

_"__Paulina is trying to get Frostbite to tell her everything he knows about Phantom. It's hilarious, Val!"_

"What's the status on our rescue?"

_"__We plan on sending everyone except for me, Sam, Danny, and Mrs. Fenton home. Then we'll be taking a sizeable group of Yeti to come after you. I think Danny's resigned to his parents learning about his alter-ego; he'll still put it off as long as he can, but I think he's coming to terms with the idea."_

"Provided she doesn't blast him immediately," Valerie yawns.

_"__Sorry, it's late, isn't it? Tell me your code."_

"362554583227."

_"__Goodnight, Val," _he whispers, _"It'll all be over soon."_


	19. In The Far Frozen 2

Ch. 19

Maddie stares at the shuttle as it alights on the little island they camp on, piloted by large, furry, white monsters with icy horns. The largest of them wears a blue cape and has one arm made of ice.

"I am Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen," he grins toothily, causing the group to flinch, "We have come to escort you to a meal and then home, as per the Gr…Sir Danny's instructions."

"And where _is_ my son?" she steps forward, raising an eyebrow.

Frostbite coughs, "Well…he and Lady Sam…seemed rather preoccupied. Did they not contact you on the radio?"

"They did…they just forgot to mention that they weren't coming along," she frowns, eyeing the yeti, "…how preoccupied?"

"I do not think it is my place to tell…" he shifts nervously, "…I did not receive the whole picture, as you say."

She keeps her blaster gripped in her hand, which the yeti notices, but doesn't comment on.

"Did you say 'food'?" Dash inquires from the back.

"Yes, a mighty feast for friends of the – of the Great Sir Danny!" he booms, "We are honored to serve his classmates and mother. Sir Tucker and his group shall join us a little later. We've sent another shuttle out for them," he motions to the speeder with an elegant bow – fitting, for a king – "If you will, please."

The class immediately loads onto the shuttle, and she reluctantly follows, her hands twitching every time a yeti moves. The inside of the shuttle – which seems to be modeled on the Specter Speeder – contradicts the ancient clothing of the pilots.

"Is that everyone?" one questions.

"Yes. Let's return home," the king replies, and the shuttles lurch from the ground. She gazes through the window as the pillars of ice fly by. She thinks for a moment that she can see the trail left by Sam's boots on the ice and snow.

"Lady Sam is a brave woman," Frostbite comments, as though reading her thoughts, "Not many have the courage it takes to maneuver through the tunnel as I believe she did. When one stands at the entrance, it seems to fall endlessly. To step into the abyss alone…is a courageous thing."

"She'd do anything for Danny," she whispers, glaring up at him.

"Yes, knowing that one you love is already within its depths _does _add some incentive," he laughs. The world outside becomes a serene plain of white, and they soon alight in the center of a tiny village. Danny stands hand-in-hand with Sam, grinning at the group.

"Welcome to the Far Frozen. There's heat in the caverns," he laughs, noticing the chattering teeth of his classmates, "Follow me," he leads them down a small series of twists and turns until they reach a warm banquet hall, the smell of roast meat rising from the platters. He and Sam sit at the front of the table, which is easily wide enough to fit both of them. The small plates and utensils seem comical in comparison. Maddie seats herself beside her son, and Crystal takes the seat next to Sam.

When everyone has settled into their seats, Danny stands, lifting his glass, "As I've already said; welcome to the Far Frozen. It'll be the final stop on the trip through the ghost zone for most of you before returning to our world," his voice is clear, carrying through the room with ease, "I propose a toast to Frostbite, for his hospitality, and to the other ghosts who have shown kindness for the duration of our little journey."

Maddie stares at him, and then at her glass. Her eyes flick once again to her son, with a small smile playing on his lips. The other students – and Lancer, she notices – raise their glasses to join in. His blue eyes flick to hers momentarily, almost sad, but he accepts her refusal and sits to eat.

"So you're still feeling unsure about them?" he asks quietly as the other students chatter amongst one another.

"I'm still not even sure about _you_, Daniel."

He flinches at the usage of his name.

"Why do you hate it so much?"

"Hate what?"

"Being called by your full name?" she presses.

"That's what the froot-loop called me," he growls.

"Froot-Loop?"

"Vlad," he snorts, "One _seriously_ crazed-up froot-loop," he takes a bite of turkey as Sam takes a bite of her veggie stir-fry.

"So you knew the whole extent of…?" she breathes.

"Ever since the reunion in Wisconsin," he answers, "Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?" he asks quietly, "In all honesty?"

"Probably not," she confesses, "But we could've _proved_ the ghost part–"

"If I exposed him, he'd expose me," he interrupts.

She stares at him, her food still untouched, "You were so determined to keep your ghost-hunting secret that you didn't tell us about _Vlad_?"

"Yeah, something like that," he shrugs. She can see conflict in those blue eyes – eyes just like Jack's – and it tells her she _still_ doesn't know the whole story.

"What are you still hiding from me?" she whispers.

"I only want to explain it once," he replies quickly, "So we'll get Dad back first, okay?"

"How much does Jazz know?"

"Everything," he replies, "For the most part. Maybe not the extent of my injuries, but she knows everything important."

"Your injuries _are_ important," she hisses, "You…you could've _died_."

"Too late," he snorts, "apparently. Yet, here I am," he frowns, glancing at her plate, "And here _you_ are, frowning upon a king's hospitality. Do you honestly still wonder why I didn't tell you about my own ghost studies?"

"And what have your 'studies' told you?" she snips.

"That they're not really any better or worse than us," he replies simply, turning to speak with Sam and Crystal.

"Oh, yeah, don't wait _thirty minutes_ for the hungriest bunch!" Tucker announces, swinging into the room, "I'm _really_ feeling the love, guys," he grimaces at his two friends, "Not as much as the two of _you_, but…" Crystal and Alex move down, allowing him to sit beside Sam. He promptly drops two large cuts of turkey onto his plate. The rest of his group follow suit, grasping hungrily for the meal.

"Not a _word_, Tuck," Sam glares.

"Oh, do I _have_ to say anything?" he smirks, "Or can you _re_-_ow!_" he rubs gingerly at his head, where she'd hit him, "_Dude_, I have a massive goose-egg there! Hit the _other_ side of my head next time, okay?"

"You are indeed injured, Sir Tucker," Frostbite observes, gently shifting his head in his claws, "And so is the boy with curly red hair over there," he indicates Lester, "Perhaps we should take a look…?" the yeti turns to Danny, who nods his assent.

"Why does he always look to Danny for confirmation?" Maddie frowns quietly.

"I suppose that he's viewed as a visiting foreign ambassador," Lancer replies, "perhaps. Though it's obvious that the denizens hold great respect for Daniel."

"Lester, dude, just let them look at your leg," Tucker moves down to sit beside him, "I told you; the medical tech here is pretty awesome."

"I was once nearly frozen solid and their de-icing chamber defrosted me with no ill effects," Danny adds, "You're in good hands. They just want a look for now, to tell if they'll need to do more."

"Yeah, trust the guy who uses it the most!" Sam grins. This spurs an unusual expression from her boyfriend, and she elbows him. A silent, teasing argument seems to break out between the two.

"So _this_ is the…" Tucker smirks and motions to them.

They whirl on him simultaneously, "It's _not funny_, Tucker!" they shout.

"Really?" he snickers.

"Shut _up_!"

"You're still doing it. Figure out how to turn it on or off yet?"

"What are you three talking about?" Maddie interrupts.

"Perhaps their newfound ability to act simultaneously," Lancer retorts.

"_No_! Yes…Sort-of!" They shout back. Tucker curls into himself, clutching at his sides.

"Aww…they've reached a whole new level of love, folks," he grins to the class.

"Tucker…" Sam growls.

"Hey, you're acting by yourself now!"

_"__I am _so_ phasing your pants off in the middle of school when we get back,"_ Danny growls in Esperanto.

_"__Not cool!"_ Tuck retorts, _"It's funny and you know it…somewhere, deep down in you that she can't sense…"_

_"__Fine…choose. The pants, or me turning your PDAs invisible and hiding them for a class period?"_

_"__Pants."_

_"__Wise choice,"_ Danny smirks.

**A/N: So, almost 20 chapters now! Holy cow! This is longer than I thought! 100 pages, 33000 words! The last chapter was pretty short, huh? Anyway, this one is a little longer. :D Funny story: So I thought I uploaded Ch. 18 at about…5-6 PM yesterday, and I was really confused because there hadn't been a SINGLE review. So I checked it before I went to bed and realized that something had happened and that it hadn't been uploaded! That was promptly fixed. Also: I have an AU DP story (I may later adjust it to be more of a one-shot, though…) that has 2 chapters so far. I can't guarantee it'll update as often or regularly as this one, though. Still; feel free to check out "The Funeral Singer" As always, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!**


	20. In The Caverns

**A/N: 200+ reviews! YAAYZ! Sorry this chapter is uploaded so late in the day. I've been surprised with the lack of comments on Ch. 18, seeing as I REVEALED THE REAL VILLAIN IN THIS SCENARIO! Hm…Oh well. Quick Note: Phantom Planet happened about a month prior to the story. In my head, Danny's birthday is in February, while Tuck's is in March and Sam's in June. He's 16 currently, and Danielle is 12, as it hasn't been a year since her creation. As always, read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!**

Ch. 20

Tucker glares at the map in the center of the table, his blue-green eyes boring a hole in the location of Walker's prison. He sighs and props himself up with his arms, head bowed for a moment.

"You should really get some rest."

"I will, Danny," he assures, "But it's still bothering me."

"What's still bothering you?" he strides further into the room, leaning on an elbow to peer into his friend's face.

"There's another party at play here, Danny," he frowns, removing his glasses and massaging at the corner of his eyes.

"The one who caused the explosion to start with," he states.

"Yeah. Still have no idea who it was?"

"Nope. If it were Walker, he would've taken off with me and left the rest of you alone."

"That would be true of _most_ your enemies," Tucker snorts, "So the goal here is not to capture or kill you," he falls heavily into a chair nearby, "What reason would they have to trap us all in here…?"

"If you keep making that face, it'll freeze that way," he pokes him in the forehead.

Tucker smirks, "And I wouldn't want to ruin my good looks, now would I?"

"And you're supposed to be the comic relief," he smiles, "Isn't worrying obsessively _my_ job?"

He takes a deep breath, "_You_ aren't the one in touch with Valerie."

"Oh?" he waits for an explanation.

"She's scared, man," he whispers, "She'll _never_ admit that, of course, but she's terrified. Maybe not so much for herself, but…"

"I know the feeling," he comments quietly.

"She knows about you, by the way. Everything."

"I figured it wouldn't take long," he sighs and rubs the back of his neck, "How'd she take it?"

"She feels awful."

"…she hasn't told my dad yet, has she?"

"Nope. She's keeping it to herself, no worries," he assures, "…Do you think it's safe to send the others home in the morning?"

"What?" he asks, confused by the sudden change in topic, "Why?"

"_Someone_ obviously wants them here. Do you think they'll let them leave?"

"True," he frowns, "Should we just leave them here in the Far Frozen?"

"They would probably be safest here…"

"But…?"

"This is someone who picked a fight with _you_, Danny. A _legitimate_ fight, not a sparring match to entertain themselves. I'm not sure if you've caught on to this, but someone around Skulker's power level would have to be _clinically insane_ to think they can take you on."

"So you're thinking…Fright Knight levels?"

"At the very least."

"You're right," Danny growls, "and I hate that you're right."

"In this case, I wish I was wrong too," the technogeek replies, "I'd like to think it was someone's idea of a prank gone bad – Youngblood launching himself with a slingshot again – but I'm finding it highly unlikely."

"Yeah. I'm certain it wasn't Vlad though, so there's _one_ consolation," green seeps into his eyes.

"You need to cool off, dude," Tucker scolds, "the ectoplasm is showing."

He takes a deep, steadying breath, and his eyes fade black to blue, "Sorry."

"_I_ don't care when they do that," he smirks, "But _your mom_ might shoot first and ask _later_."

"Or _never," _he adds, "I'm still thinking of how to tell her and Dad."

"You might not have a choice with the upcoming battle, Danny."

"No…" he groans, putting his head in his hands.

"They'll accept you," he comforts, "Remember the reality gauntlet?"

"That was _before_ she was convinced I was dead, Tucker," he growls.

"Well…she's half right," he snickers, earning a chuckle from his best friend, "By the way, Val's been wondering what Danielle's been up to."

"Dani?" he questions, "She and Cujo were somewhere in Europe, last I heard."

"_Cujo_?"

"Yeah. What," he snorts, "Do you think I'd let her wander the planet without _someone_ to keep her safe?"

"Dude, she's…" he shakes his head with a chuckle, "She'll probably be protecting _him_ more than _he_ protects _her_."

"…Either way, she still has _someone_ to watch her back. She should've just stayed here in Amity Park, especially after the whole deal with Plasmius was revealed…"

"Chill, Dude, she's a free spirit," he smirks, "She's not the type to stay in one place."

"She still should've stayed. I mean, what about school? What if the ecto-dejecto was only a temporary fix?" He tangles his fingers into his hair.

"Where would she stay? I mean..."

"If she'd been willing to stick around, I would've told my parents the whole deal immediately, consequences be–"

"Your hero complex is showing."

"Thanks, Tuck," he growls dryly.

"She'll be _fine_, Danny," he assures, "She's tough; besides, anyone who goes after her will have to deal with you _and_ Val, and _that's _a combination that'd make Pariah Dark scream like a girl."

"Let's not test that theory."

"Agreed."

-BREAK-

"...-othering you?"

"There's another party at play here, Danny."

"The one that caused the explosion to start with."

Maddie creeps towards the voices, making as little sound as possible. _Are those…?_

Tucker and Danny sit facing each other in a room lit by a single, glowing, map-table. They both wear serious expressions, the shadows making them harsher.

"Yeah. Still have no idea who it was?" Tucker inquires.

"Nope," Danny shakes his head, "If it were Walker, he would have left the rest of you alone."

A quieter exchange follows, Danny poking his friend in the forehead and the two sharing a laugh. She strains her ears, attempting to pick up whatever she can.

"–Valerie," Tucker looks sad, whispering something she can't hear, "She knows about you, by the way. Everything."

Danny sighs and rubs his neck, "I figured it wouldn't take long. How'd she take it?"

"She feels awful."

The conversation fades again, but she can make out enough to gather the topic. _Leave everyone here for their safety?_

"This is someone who picked a fight with _you_, Danny. A _legitimate_ fight, not a sparring match to entertain themselves. I'm not sure if you've caught on to this, but someone around Skulker's power level would have to be _clinically insane_ to think they can take you on."

_Skulker? He's a level five entity! Why…_she frowns, pressing herself closer to the wall, _would a ghost that strong be scared of Danny?_

"So you're thinking…Fright Knight levels?"

"At the very least."

_On par with the Fright Knight? Level eight?_

Danny growls angrily, and she restrains a gasp as green seeps into his eyes, making them glow in the dimness of the room.

"You need to cool off, dude," Tucker scolds, "the ectoplasm is showing."

He takes a deep, steadying breath, and his eyes fade black to blue, "Sorry."

_This…is normal? But…is he possessed? No, Tucker didn't seem surprised…_

"_I_ don't care when they do that," he smirks, "But _your mom_ might shoot first and ask _later_."

"Or _never," _he adds, "I'm still thinking of how to tell her and Dad."

"You might not have a choice with the upcoming battle, Danny."

"No…" he groans, putting his head in his hands.

"They'll accept you," he comforts, "Remember the reality gauntlet?"

"That was _before_ she was convinced I was dead, Tucker," he growls.

"Well," he snickers, "she's half right."

_Half right? About Danny being dead?_

" –ondering what Danielle's up to."

"Dani?" his head raises.

_Who is Danielle?_

"…Either way, she still has _someone_ to watch her back. She should've just stayed here in Amity Park, especially after the whole deal with Plasmius was revealed…"

"Chill, Dude, she's a free spirit," Tucker smirks, "She's not the type to stay in one place."

"She still should've stayed. I mean, what about school? What if the ecto-dejecto was only a temporary fix?" He tangles his fingers into his hair.

_The Ecto-Dejecto? _Danny_ took that?! What did he use it to fix?_

"Where would she stay? I mean..."

"If she'd been willing to stick around, I would've told my parents the whole deal immediately, consequences be–"

_Just who _is_ this girl? Does _Sam_ know about her?_

"She'll be _fine_, Danny," he assures, "She's tough; besides, anyone who goes after her will have to deal with you _and_ Val, and _that's _a combination that'd make Pariah Dark scream like a girl."

_The Ghost King? Danny and Valerie? _She moves away as quickly as she can while they laugh at some unheard joke. The caverns, though warmer than outside, are still a little chilly, and she shivers. Her head hurts, questions boiling over.

"Out for a stroll, Mrs. Fenton?" Sam waits outside the room they share, her amethyst eyes guarded.

"Yeah," she replies innocently, "I…I'm having a hard time sleeping."

"I'm sure," she retorts dryly, taking her wrist and leading her inside. She sits her firmly on the bed, her arms crossed, "What did you hear?"

"What?"

"You were listening in on Danny and Tucker," she frowns, "What did I tell you about _spying_?"

_How…?_

"Of course I know. It isn't too hard to figure out," she snorts. Maddie swallows nervously, unaware that she'd spoken out loud.

"Nothing that made sense. Something about another party…and Danielle."

Sam freezes in place, "What about her?"

"Who is she, and why is Danny so worried about her?"

"That…" Sam squirms, "She's like a little sister to Danny. Of course he's worried about her," she snorts, "You know how protective he is of Jazz."

"I need you to tell me more than that, Sam," she growls, standing to eye-level with the Goth, "Who. Is. She? Why would she need to stay with us?"

"Danny's the closest thing she has to family," Sam replies coolly, "this discussion is over, Mrs. Fenton. We'll tell you about Danielle when the time comes."

"…how old is she?"

Her eyes become distant, focusing again before she replies, "Twelve."

"And she's all by herself?"

"She's as stubborn as Danny," she frowns, "But, yeah, she is…no, wait, she's with her dog. Besides, any resident who's an ally to Danny would help her out too. Pandora, Frostbite, Dora, Clockwork…well, okay, maybe not Clockwork…you can never tell what he'll intervene in…" she shakes her head, "_Any_way, go to bed. We'll both need our sleep for tomorrow."


	21. In The Far Frozen 3

Ch. 21

The residents of the Far Frozen rush about, the air thrumming with urgency. Danny stands atop a stone platform, calling out orders and relaying information through a radio. His voice rings clearly across the plaza, and the yeti never hesitate to follow his commands.

"You seem to have everything well under control, Mr. Fenton," Lancer comments, coming up beside the halfa, "But then again, you've always been a leader, haven't you?"

"Have I?" he replies dryly.

The teacher nods, "I anticipate great things from you…Mr. Phantom."

"Wha…" Danny's rendered speechless, "How…?"

"It's the only piece that solves the whole puzzle," he shrugs, "How you've been hunting ghosts without anyone seeing you, why Ms. Manson always looks ill whenever Ms. Sanchez gushes about Phantom, why you're so well known in the Ghost Zone…" he shrugs, "Mayor Masters claimed he was half-ghost. That shock inside the portal added more than a little ecto-energy, didn't it Mr. Fenton?" he smirks.

"You're very perceptive, Mr. Lancer," he smirks back at the teacher, a flash of green swirling through his irises, "I wonder why my mom hasn't figured it out yet?"

"I'm not emotionally invested," the teacher replies, "I can step back and look at the whole picture. She can't."

"I hope you'll continue to keep it secret for now, Mr. Lancer."

"Surely you plan to tell her?"

"Of course," he snorts, "It's time I tell her _and_ Dad…preferably at the same time. They're going to want answers about the whole…dead thing…"

"So…were you?"

"Maybe," Danny shrugs, "Frostbite said something about my ghost half holding my human form in some sort of suspended animation while fixing it up. Ghosts aren't just…dead, Mr. Lancer. They still move, think…death is the _absence_ of life. Ecto-energy is more like anti-life; it's still a form of energy, of life."

"I didn't know you were such a theorist. You should show this much thought in school."

"This is just the result of studying with Clockwork. And I'm doing pretty well in school this year, considering that I'm also learning two languages and the history, politics, and structure of the ghost zone. Oh, and don't forget my ancient weapons training and the _actual_ ghost-hunting," he snorts.

"You really _are_ busy," he gasps.

"So you'll understand next time I show up in class late or miss an assignment?"

"I think I will," he frowns, "…and who's Clockwork? I've heard mention of him several times during this trip, but…"

"Clockwork is the master of time, Mr. Lancer," Danny smiles, "He sees the world that exists, the worlds that _have_ existed, and the worlds that _can _exist. He's the strongest ghost I know. He hasn't gotten involved, so I assume that the course we're on leads to the possibility of a favorable outcome."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in him."

He shrugs, "We both want what's best for both realms. Why wouldn't I trust him?"

"What about what's best for you?"

"You'd be surprised how much they correlate to one another," he replies shakily, turning on his heel and vanishing amongst the thrumming crowd.

-BREAK-

_"__It's today, Val,"_ she can hear Tucker smile, _"We're coming to get you."_

"What's the plan?" she whispers.

_"__Well, we'll start quietly; try to break through ourselves and weaken Walker's front line. Then we'll surprise him with a second wave of Far Frozen. Then, while he's dealing with a bunch of angry yeti, we slip through and find you. Danny's trying to do this without revealing his secret."_

"Got it."

_"__I'll let you know when it starts. Be ready. Can you tell us anything about your location in the prison?"_

"I think we're somewhere in the middle. There aren't any windows in here."

_"__Got it. See you in a few, Val."_

"Tucker…"

_"…__yeah?"_

"Thanks."

_"__You're welcome. What's your code?"_

"Will it do any good now?"

_"__It's for good luck."_

"362554583227," she recites, a wry smile playing on her face, "See you soon. Get these cuffs off of me so I can whip out my suit and wreak some havoc!"

_"__Sure thing, Babe!"_

"Did you just…?" But he's already gone. She feels her face heat, and shakes her head.

"I told you that he's got a thing for you," Star smiles from her spot. Her hair is tangled after days without a brush, but she's remained cheerful despite the circumstances.

"Maybe I _will_ ask him out," she confesses.

"I hope so."

-BREAK-

_::So _Mr. Lancer_ knows now?::_

_::Yeah,::_ Danny replies, ::_Apparently, he just…reasoned it out.::_

_::And yet, your mom is still clueless,::_ she snorts, _::I can't believe she eavesdropped on you last night…::_

_::Chill, Sam,::_ he laughs in her mind – something, she admits, she can get used to, _::She's a scientist; she's prone to curiosity, and patience has never been her strong suit.::_

_::But–::_

_::Sam, just try to get along with her for now. Once she and my dad know and have a little time to get used to it, everything will be okay. She can't be accepting right now because we haven't told her what she's supposed to accept. Calm down.::_

_::True. She's still better than _my_ parents.::_

_::Nonsense, she's not _better_, she's just…::_

_::Danny,::_ she smirks, _::You don't need to defend them.::_

_::…they're your _parents_, Sam.::_

She laughs out loud, shaking her head, _::Geez, Danny, don't pretend to be okay with them when they _clearly_ hate you.::_

_::I don't hate them back,::_ he replies firmly, _::But I _am_ terrified of them.::_

_::You fight evil every day, and you're afraid of _my parents_.::_

_::There is nothing scarier to a boyfriend…except his girlfriend.::_

_::Funny. I'm still working on killing you.::_

_::Looking for a different brand of poison lipstick? Because I will be _more _than happy to let you test it on me.::_

_::You're such a dork.::_ He laughs again.

_::By the way…how did you know she was spying on us anyway?::_

_::I just…::_ she bites her lip, _::Danny, are we sure that the telepathy is…yours?::_

_::…I don't get where you're going.::_

_::Have you heard anyone else's thoughts?::_

_::No, just yours.::_

_::I…I heard hers…no, that's not totally correct. I didn't hear them, exactly…I just…sensed it. Almost like an instinct. I could tell when she lied to me. I think I have a specific connection with you, but maybe with everyone else…I can sense what's underneath the surface. I can't sense them from a distance, but…::_

_::You think…it might be _yours_?::_

_::That's silly, isn't it?::_

_::…not really. Sam, you…you experienced my death, right?::_

_::Yeah. Kind-of…Wait, are you saying that it linked us?::_

_::No, it started before that. What if _we_ were connected before that, but experiencing my death gave you…like, secondhand ghost powers or something?::_

She feels gears in her head click, _::You said that you thought I wasn't breathing for a moment…::_

_::A near-death experience.::_

_::…but what linked us in the first place?::_

_::That's a silly question, Sam,::_ she can sense him grinning across the village, _::fateful, true love.::_

She'd hit him if he were nearby, a blush rising to her cheeks, _::Yeah, something like that.::_

_::I wouldn't have my powers without you, Sam,:: _he adds more seriously, _::You're as tied to my death as I am.::_

**A/N: Congrats to The Talent for predicting the true nature of the telepathy! Thank you all for your reviews! We're at 221 at the time I'm typing this! To answer a common question: Danielle will NOT be appearing IN PERSON in this book. She's slated for #3: "Crown of Fire." Also, while I've introduced the telepathy, it'll be more relevant and important in "Adrift." The raid on Walker's prison begins next chapter! Yay!**

**Also, I get a lot of comments on my version of Tucker: I always feel like other fanfic authors just…forget that he's out there fighting ghosts with the other two. I feel like the trick to writing decent characters from a series is to remember that in the cartoon, they'll emphasize certain traits of a character, rather than dealing with the nuances. After all; they're episodic in nature and need to make it clear what each character stands for. So you take the main traits from the cartoon, suppress them a little, and flesh out according to the situations they've gone through for the fic. He's not as strong as Danny, but in an arm-wrestling match, ****_my_**** Tucker would be equal to Sam; it turns into a matter of endurance, which she wins. But he's not exactly a pushover. He is, however, aware of his low stamina and therefore fights smart instead of hard. (Hacking into Skulker's suit, for instance.) I'm glad you all like him, because I feel like he never gets enough credit. Everyone just makes him the simple goofball and (often) a coward. Anyway, so there's my Tucker rant.**


	22. In The Prison 2

Ch. 22

Danny takes a deep, steadying breath as the glowing purple walls of the prison come into view.

"Ready?" Sam asks quietly.

"Yeah," he exhales, "you?"

"I'm cool," she replies.

"Me too," Tucker replies, finishing fiddling with his wrist-ray.

"Are you sure we should be sending the smaller group first?" Maddie asks, "Shouldn't we send the yeti?"

"This is _our_ problem," Danny growls, "Frostbite's people are backup. We'll pierce the front line with a directional attack and scatter Walker's forces a bit. His goons aren't powerful; he just has a lot of them. We only use the Far Frozen if we need to. Besides, this'll lure him out, and I need to teach him a lesson," he grins, "That imprisoning humans is _against the rules_."

"Will you be okay without a weapon?" she raises an eyebrow at his bare wrist.

"I'll snatch one from Walker's men," he shrugs, "I mean, everyone's probably safe in the Far Frozen, but I figured it'd be good for at least _one_ of them to be armed."

"…are you worried about this 'third party' you and Tucker were discussing?" she questions.

He frowns, "Yeah, I am."

"Why would a ghost have to be 'clinically insane' to go after you?" she narrows her eyes.

"Heard that too, huh?"

"Answer the question."

"No," he smiles mysteriously, "It'll be explained later. All in due time, Mom," he signals for the shuttle to stop with the raise of a hand and leaps out into the air. Sam, Tucker, and Maddie follow behind, and he taps a headset – one that Frostbite based on the Fenton Phones – to make sure they're still transmitting. The yeti gives him a thumbs-up, trying to make as little sound as possible as the shuttles hide behind a nearby island.

Danny floats forward, his ghost sense stretched to sense any incoming attacks. He senses no commotion in the compound as they near the gates, keeping below the edge of the platform, as though approaching from beneath.

"Okay, Mom, we need the strongest blast from the bazooka possible," he whispers, "You clear the door, and Sam, Tuck, and I will take advantage of the commotion and sweep through as many as possible. The wrist-rays have a shorter range, so you'll stay towards the back with the bazooka to supply cover fire. Your enemies are the ghosts dressed like riot police or a ghost all in white – he's mine, though, so let me deal with him."

"Didn't he used to have some second-in-command with an eye-patch?" Tucker asks.

"Yeah," Danny mutters, "Bullet. But I haven't seen him around much; he went off to do something else. I think he was just a mercenary hired by Walker to hunt down the inmates I freed."

"So he's not a problem?"

"Probably not," he shrugs, "Let's get moving. Mom?"

She swoops up and aims the bazooka, it's charging whine a comfort in her ears. _I just have to fight ghosts this time; I can do this._

The metal doors explode back, creating a cloud of dust. The trio rushes past her, taking advantage of the cover, and she can see Sam and Tucker fire their rays with expert precision, every shot hitting an enemy. To the right, Danny dodges a pink ray and effortlessly throws the ghost to the ground, taking the baton from him. She aims again, and fires the bazooka at a group converging above the teens.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little punk," a white shape bullets through the crowd, sweeping directly for Danny.

"Walker," he growls, holding the ghost's gloved hand from his throat, his stolen baton falling to the floor, "Been a while. Miss me?"

"Always, Punk," he retorts, "My prison misses you."

"Still going to miss me, Walker," Danny smiles, turning intangible and rolling away. Two green rays plow into the ghost, sending him into the wall.

"Sam, Tuck, Mom!" Danny calls, "Let's go find Valerie!"

"Wait just one second!" Walker rages, barreling into the teen. His gloves glow blue, and he smiles, "Can't escape this, can you, Punk?"

Danny glares, "anti-human gloves? Someone's gotten smarter."

"Danny!"

"Go!" he shouts, waving them away, "I can handle this!"

Sam nods, rushing away. Tuck follows behind her, and Maddie stares at her son.

"I told you to _go!_ Dad might need your help!" he snarls, kicking Walker over his head and scrambling to his feet, "I can handle myself! _Go!_" His eyes flash green for a moment, like they had the night before.

She swallows, her eyes tracing the tiny trickle of blood leaking from his temple, "Be careful, Danny."

"I'll be fine," he dismisses, "Just go!"

She turns and runs after the other two teens, not noticing the green fireball that blows away two goons trying to follow her.

"You're strong, kid," Walker growls, getting to his feet, "But I have a veritable army behind me," the riot ghosts all gather around, ready to pounce.

Danny grins, his eyes turning green once again, "Yeah? Well guess what?" he raises a hand, "So do I."

A collective roar sounds, and ice pours into the compound. Frostbite charges through the doors, a sea of white behind him. The yeti slam against the wall of riot ghosts, and Danny charges at Walker, forming a sword made of ice that slices through the ghost's black hat.

"You imprisoned some humans, Walker," he seethes, "that's out of your jurisdiction," the icy blade glows, a flickering stream of ectoplasm gleaming in the center, and illuminates his acid-green eyes.

-BREAK-

"His eyes–"

"You saw them when you eavesdropped on us," Tucker retorts, blasting another goon across the hallway, "It's normal when he gets angry or scared."

"Really, it happens whenever his heart-rate increases," Sam corrects, sliding under a beam.

Maddie blasts a group further down the hallway, "So I haven't seen my son actually excited in years," she growls.

"Well, he can hold it off if he's being careful," Tucker explains, "But if he gets caught in the heat of the moment…go right here; we're getting too close to the outside. Val said there weren't any windows."

"Got it," they swerve right, rushing deeper into the compound. Tucker connects his PDA to his radio, typing rapidly.

"Val! Can you hear us? Bang on the walls or something!"

_"__Yeah, I can hear a lot of noise out there. Hey guys!" _she shouts to the people in the room, _"We need to make some noise!"_

He stops and strains his ears, "A little to our left…keep going straight until we have to option to turn!"

The noise from the main room echoes through the hallways, joined by cajoling prisoners, begging for freedom.

"Shut _up_!" Sam shouts, but they continue. She whirls on her heels, firing a few shots to get their attention, "Shut up, or _so help me_ I _will_ sic Danny on you!"

Eyes widen, and they fall silent. Further ahead, they can hear more familiar voices shouting.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," she replies, "Danny and I will sort through you later," she follows the shouts, and they find the glowing room.

"Valerie!" Tucker shouts, looking through the window.

"Tucker!" She smiles.

"Tuck, man, are we glad to see you!" Eric grins.

"Jack!" Maddie shoves the technogeek aside.

"Maddie!" he shouts, straining against his chains.

"Mrs. Fenton, if I may?" Sam removes a couple of bobby pins from her hair, "We can't send the door flying this time."

"Yeah," she moves aside, allowing the Goth to pick the lock, "Why do you know how to…?"

"What? You think I haven't used it to sneak out of my house?" she snorts, the door clicking open, she moves to pick the shackles of each prisoner. Jack sweeps Maddie into a bear hug.

"Where's Danny-O?" he asks.

"He's in the main room, taking care of Walker," Tucker replies, "Let's get you guys out of here, alright?" he leads them from the room, rushing the way they came. They eventually emerge into the main room, where Danny grapples with the warden.

"Get going! I'll follow behind!" he shouts, kneeing the ghost in the stomach and locking him in a chokehold, "Frostbite! Make sure they get out!"

"What about you, Sir Danny?"

"I can handle myself!" he shouts, adding pressure to his chokehold, "Go!"

_::Be careful, Danny.::_

_::No problem, Sam. Once you're gone, I can go ghost and flatten this place with a wail. Get everyone far enough away.::_

_::Got it.::_

They load everyone into the shuttles, Valerie favoring her side, and Jack still embracing his wife.

"We can't just…leave him behind!" Star shouts.

"He said he could handle it!" Sam snaps, "In fact, he'll be better off alone. He'll meet up with us in a while. I think he's planning on flattening the place."

"How would he…?"

They're too far away to hear the wail as it builds, but they can see as the prison crumbles in the distance.

"Doesn't matter," she snips, "He's pretty creative when he wants something done. This way, Walker will be preoccupied with rebuilding his prison…once he wakes up. He won't be chasing anyone until he has a prison to lock them in."

_::Hold up, I'm coming.::_

"Stop the shuttles for a sec and open the doors," Sam commands. Frostbite obeys, and Danny floats down from above a few seconds later.

"Let's get back to the Far Frozen," he commands, "Feed and check everyone over. Maybe give Val some pain meds for her rib."

"Welcome back," Sam kisses his cheek, "Feel better?"

"Very few things are better than owning Walker," he grins.

"Like owning Plasmius?" Tucker snorts.

"More like this," Danny grins, pulling Sam into a brief kiss.

She smiles, "You dork."

"But I'm _your_ dork who just flattened a ghost prison."

"How many years do you think you've racked up?"

"I think he was shouting twelve-thousand," he replies, "I'm guessing he's added _at least_ another three for completely destroying the place."

"My boyfriend, a criminal of the Ghost Zone," she snorts, "May my parents never find out."

"Yeah," he laughs, "They'd probably put a restraining order on me again."

_::Just wait until they learn I love a ghost.::_

_::We still have my _own_ parents to deal with. If I have to move to the Infinite Realms permanently, will you still come to visit?::_

_::I'll move in with you.::_

_::That…::_ he blushes.

_::Problem, Ghost-Boy?::_ she smirks.

_::…!::_ all she can hear from his mind is jumbled static, searching for an answer. She laughs, leaning against his shoulder. His arm snakes around her waist, pulling her closer.

_::How is it that you can feel cold to the touch, but snuggling with you makes me warm?!::_

_::We all have our little secrets, Sam.::_

**A/N: Okay! Yay! Walker's Prison: CLEARED! Now we just have the final battle. :D I hope you're all still enjoying Journey of Secrets so far! Remember to review/fav/follow! Next Chapter: Will Danny reveal his secret?!**

**Some of you are probably wondering why they didn't phase through the walls to find Valerie's group, rather than the hallways. They're in a prison; they could run into an unfriendly inmate. The safest places were the hallways. Besides, the halls are narrow, reducing how many riot ghosts can come after them at once. :D**

**BIGGEST FAN EVER: (Formerly referred to as G828) Glad you finally caught on. I was sitting around on my computer yesterday morning, and your reviews made me laugh; but I couldn't PM you to respond, so I slipped in and edited the A/N a few chapters ahead of you to relay the info. Trololololo~~ I was laughing so hard. "when you talk about that guest reviewer that suffers from blood pressure problems induced by your story. To the reviewer: I feel your pain. Seriously, I feel as if this was made for me." I was dying. I nearly fell off of my bed. It made my morning extremely amusing. :D Keep reviewing!**


	23. In The Reveal

Ch. 23

Tucker sits in the map room, fiddling with his PDA. The glowing screen reflects on his glasses, making it difficult to see his eyes. Valerie watches him from the doorway, unsure if she should disturb him.

"It's warmer if you come all the way in," he comments, noticing her hesitation.

"You called me 'Babe,'" she frowns, slipping a little further in the room to lean against the wall across from him, the table between them.

"Did I?" he smirks, "Sorry you didn't get to wreak havoc with your suit. Danny had it covered."

"I didn't want to spill my identity anyway," she shrugs, "So…"

"So…" he puts the device down, lifting his eyes to hers, waiting.

"So you always knew about the suit."

"Yep."

"You knew I was hunting your best friend."

"Yeah."

"So why…?"

"Why did I help you?" he whispers, "Why wouldn't I? You hunted Danny because you didn't know any better. He didn't blame you, so I never did either."

"So why did you call me 'Babe?'"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Cut the crap, Tucker. You're not supposed to be this…" she marches to the table, "this…evasive. You're supposed to be a dork who can only see the world in the dimensions of a video game! You aren't supposed to be a hero!"

"I'm not the hero," he growls, marching to his side of the table, "and I'm okay with that. I'm the command center."

"You're _a_ hero, Tucker, even if you're not _the_ hero!" she shouts, "Why? Why do you put up with it?"

"Put up with what?!"

"With the crap you get at school?!" she yells, "You get insulted at every turn by the people you help Danny save! You're mocked for being a wimpy little geek, but you have what Alice and Beth called 'amazing abs,' and a spine made of steel! You get hurt," her eyes sting, "you bleed, you get who knows what else other injuries, and then you take ridicule on top of it! Didn't it ever strike you as unfair?!" Her fist slams onto the table.

"No, because I never _asked_ for anything in return!" he shouts back, "And yeah, I do get hurt," he briefly pulls down the neck of his sweater, revealing the scar that curls across his throat, "I do get beaten, but I _chose_ this, Val! I could've walked away any time I wanted! Oh, believe me, there were times I thought about it, but…once you end up in here, it's hard to get out. You know that, Val," his voice softens, "that's why you haven't stopped either. What about you? You hunt ghosts too, and most of the A-List still looks down on you. Why haven't _you_ mentioned it, huh?"

"I…"

"Their ignorance protected them, Val," he whispers, "if they knew, they'd feel guilty. They'd want to help, and they'd get hurt. You know as well as I do that we don't need amateurs running amok with ecto-weapons."

"Well," she sniffs, "They know now."

"Yeah, unfortunately," he laughs, "Maybe Danny should've kept the Reality Gauntlet."

"Reality Gauntlet?"

"Yeah…" he sits down and gestures to the seat next to him, "It's an interesting story. Care to hear it?"

A grin she's more familiar with rests on his face, "Yeah, I do," she takes the seat, and he tells her the story; an escaped enemy with a ghostly artifact, Danny's identity revealed, the cross-country trip, the manipulation of all reality, the ghost-envy, and the restoration of normality – including the erasure of memories about Danny's identity.

"So you're saying that he should've kept it to erase everyone's memories again?" she arches an eyebrow, leans forward, her elbow on her knee, and rests her chin on her hand.

"Well," he mirrors her with a grin, "Maybe not _everyone_."

"Really? Like who?" she smiles.

"Well, Lancer knows the whole picture, according to Danny. It'll be nice to have a teacher in on it; certainly convenient."

She frowns, "Is that all?"

"His parents," he grins broader, "No more nights trying to explain why he's out past curfew."

"Anyone else…?"

"Hmmm…" his eyes narrow, glittering playfully in the light from the map table.

"You're doing this on purpose," she growls.

"Doing what?" he asks innocently.

"Teasing me."

"What am I offering, Val?" he whispers gently.

She grabs the front of his shirt, pulling his lips to hers. He stiffens momentarily in surprise, one hand gripping the one fisted in his shirt. She pulls away and opens her eyes, feeling heat flood her face, "That."

He tips her face up to his, forcing her eyes to meet his, "I'm more than happy to give it to you, Val," this time, he lowers his lips to hers, a far gentler meeting than before.

-BREAK-

"Just regain your strength," Sam scolds, brushing her fingers through his hair. They sit in the sitting room in front of the fireplace, his head in her lap. His skin is cold beneath her fingers, and he smiles contentedly.

"I'm worried about sucking in too much," he mutters, his lips barely moving.

"She already knows your eyes turn green…do you know what she's doing right now?"

"Based on some of the emotions floating through here…" he begins, "There's some confusion from my dad–"

"Sorry, Danny, but that's not exactly new."

He laughs, "True. My mom is…worried. Scared. Angry, too. She's probably telling him everything that's been going on."

"Hey, where are we going to live if we move to the Infinite Realms?" she asks dryly.

"We'll stay with Frostbite or Pandora until I establish my own lair," he replies, "I'm thinking it should have a door that leads to here, but otherwise way out in the zone. Somewhere quiet, as far away from Skulker, Walker, and other bothersome ghosts–"

"Klemper. Far, far away from Klemper."

"Yes, far away from Klemper," he smiles, "Somewhere quiet."

"We should totally take over Pariah's keep," she smirks.

"No," he flicks open his neon eyes, "But if you want a castle, I'll give you one."

"How does a ghost make a lair, anyway?" she asks, "I mean, do they just…get one? Already have one?"

"If they have a strong obsession," he replies, "Otherwise, it's all a matter of will. Most ghosts naturally reside here in the Ghost Zone; when they're created, they automatically assume that there has to be some kind of 'home' for them, and so their lair is created with them. Do you know why the Ghost Zone is more properly referred to as the Infinite Realms?"

"Because they go on forever?"

"Do you know why they go on forever?"

"No."

"As you know, this world is the mirror image of our own. If one dies, so does the other. The Infinite Realms are created around thoughts and emotions. That's why ghosts reside here; they – we – sustain ourselves on emotion, so why not go where they already exist? Ideas, emotions, thought…as long as mankind wanders the earth, they'll exist. But if you destroy them, we'll die because we won't be able to sustain ourselves without them. That's why it goes on forever; because ideas, dreams, emotions…they continue on and on, and so the Ghost Zone is always expanding," he smiles, his eyes slipping shut.

"…You've been spending too much time with Clockwork."

He laughs, "Yeah, maybe. To get back on topic; I don't have a lair right now because the human world is my 'home.' I don't need one because I already have one."

"Got it," she smiles, "And no, I don't want a castle."

"I agree; _way_ too much cleaning…" he mumbles, followed by more incoherent noises.

"Danny…just go to sleep," she smirks, "We'll deal with your parents later."

He nods slightly, his body relaxing. She continues to twirl black strands through her fingers, enjoying the slight curl of his lips. She kisses his forehead and removes the little bit of gauze covering the cut above his eyebrow, revealing a pale new scar that fades slowly away as she watches until it disappears completely.

"Lucky," she snorts.

His hand reaches up and intertwines with hers, and the room goes dark, the only light being her and Danny. But as she watches, she can see floating particles in the air, like dust caught in a beam of sunlight. Different colors swirl around Danny, disappearing into his skin. She feels a warmth spread through her palm, and his hand trembles. His breathing is deep and even, focused.

_::Danny, what are you…?::_

His green eyes flick open, and he reaches up, cupping her face in his palm, _::It's not perfect, but…check that scar on your arm, Sam.::_

She shifts her sleeve up, to her elbow, where she'd gotten a large scar from debris after Skulker tried to blow up a building. The scar no longer puckers up, smooth and light instead. She brushes her fingers over it, _::Danny…how…?::_

_::I wasn't sure if it would work,::_ his grip relaxes, and she notices that he's shaking a little, _::It was…more exhausting than I thought. I've been wondering about it for a while. I figured that if it worked with anyone, it'd work with you, due to the telepathy. The other scars should be a little smaller too. Some of the small ones might even be gone. But…that really wiped me.::_

_::No kidding,::_ she frowns, _::Now you _really_ need to get some sleep, moron.::_

_::Yeah, yeah,:: _he smiles, _::You're welcome.::_

_::Thanks.::_

_::I'll have to see if I can reduce Tuck's later. At least that one on his neck; wearing a turtleneck in the summer must _really_ suck.::_

_::Sleep.::_

He goes silent, and the world fades back into existence around her again. Tucker leans against the entrance of the room, Valerie behind him.

"Am I…interrupting something?" he asks.

"As long as you don't wake him up," she replies, "And look," she holds up her arm, earning a startled stare from the technogeek, "He can spread the healing powers around a little too. We're not sure if that's a telepathy-only thing yet, though. If not, he'll try to at least minimize that one on your neck."

"That would be awesome," Tucker smiles, "We'll have to see – when he's not totally wiped. I assume that doing _that_ and the wail really knocked him out."

"Yeah," she brushes a clump of hair from his face.

"It's not a far-fetched theory. I mean, he can fly and turn us intangible or invisible if he's touching us; why not accelerate our healing? Especially here in the Ghost Zone, where it's easier to pick up energy," he shrugs.

"So, what are Mr. and Mrs. Fenton up to right now?"

"She pulled him off to a private table; I assume she's telling him everything."

"That's what Danny said," the goth growls, "Did you happen to notice anything?"

"Mrs. Fenton looked really frustrated," Valerie interjects, "Mr. Fenton went between confused and serious. Is he planning on telling them…you know…?"

"Yeah," Sam replies.

"How do you think they'll take it?" she asks.

"We don't know."

-BREAK-

"Wait…dead?" Jack breathes, "_our_ Danny was…?"

"I'm certain of it, Jack!" she hisses, "He was…he was covered in blood, he was ice cold to the touch…he wasn't breathing, he…he was dead, Jack," she sobs, "But then we're fighting this ghost dragon and he just shows up out of the blue, acting like nothing happened!"

"It's true that he doesn't really seem like our Danny," he whispers, "I mean, Danny…he's always been…"

"But how well have we really known him over the past couple of years? The late nights, the dirty clothing, the nervous lies…then Tucker and Sam both seem completely comfortable with…this Danny," sighs, "This calm, commanding Danny who seems to have the respect of half the Ghost Zone…this Danny with fast reflexes, with cold eyes – oh yeah!" she slams her fist into her palm, "His eyes apparently turn green every once in a while, too. Tucker and Sam were insisting that it's just the ectoplasm from getting shocked in the portal, but…"

"It could mean he's possessed," he muses, taking a bite of a cake provided by the Far Frozen.

"Can a ghost…possess a dead body, and gain access to their memories?"

"I don't know. We haven't encountered possessions enough to get much in the way of data," he answers.

"I just…I don't know what to do, Jack. He…" she rubs her head.

"We'll just have to wait for his explanation, Mads," he whispers.

"I…I know."

-BREAK-

"It's time," Danny announces, startling the group.

"Time for what?" Valerie asks.

"To find out," he grunts, sitting up. He slows his breathing, forcing his eyes back to blue with a lot of effort.

"I'll go get them," Valerie offers.

"I'll come with you," Tucker smiles.

"Dude, when did this happen?" Danny asks, glancing over the two.

"Uh…just a few minutes ago?"

"About time," he snorts, seating himself properly on a sofa. Sam sits beside him, leaving enough space on the couch for the other couple when they return.

"I don't want to hear this from _you_," Tucker retorts, "more than _two years_, spending nearly _every day_ with each other!" He and Valerie disappear before the halfa can respond.

"You ready?" Sam whispers.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be," he swallows, grasping her hand.

The ghost hunters sit on the sofa across from them as Tucker locks the heavy wooden door and sits beside Valerie on the same sofa as Danny.

"So, I've promised an explanation. Promise to listen the entire way through without shooting me?" he asks.

"Danny, we would _never_–" his father begins.

"Mom almost has," he replies, "Do you promise?"

They nod, Maddie's grip tightening on her husband.

"Now, I told you the beginning, where I was zapped in the portal?"

"Yeah," she replies.

"I just didn't tell you about the full extent of the result," he confesses, raising a hand to silence an angry protest, "Let me finish uninterrupted, please," he grips Sam's hand tighter, "Now, I think it'd be better to hear the story of what happened from someone else's point of view."

Sam nods, and takes a deep breath, "He told you what happened up to the shock," she begins, "But…I remember his scream. It was awful. Tuck and I just stood there for a moment when the light disappeared. I felt like time just…stopped. I was so scared that I…that I'd just gotten the man I loved electrocuted to death. But he stumbled out…not like he is now. His white hazmat suit had turned black, and his hair was white…and…"

"No…" Maddie breathes, "_no_…"

"I rushed over to him, and he passed out. I tried to catch him, but he phased right through my arms. When he hit the floor, he turned back into himself. Tuck and I carried him upstairs. His skin was colder than before, I almost couldn't find his pulse, he was breathing really slowly…"

"_No, no!"_

"Over the next few weeks, he'd accidentally turn intangible or phase through the vending machine. The main power, though, was his transformation."

Danny allows the glowing rings to wash over his body, his hair becoming snowy white, and a black hazmat suit with the 'DP' emblem emblazoned on his chest.

"A ghost attacked the school one day – The Lunch Lady. I realized that I couldn't just sit there, so I fought her off. I continued to fight, learn to control my powers, gained new ones…" he shrugs, "Tucker and Sam joined me."

"_No!"_ Maddie leaps to her feet, tears falling from her violet eyes, "My son…my son is not…!"

"I am, Mom," he smiles, "Danny Phantom has never existed without Danny Fenton."

"So what? You…you saw my son dead in the portal and…possessed him?!"

"No, I'm still me," he frowns, "I have a heartbeat, and it's not a separate consciousness, Mom."

"Don't call me that!" she shrieks, "You're not _my_ Danny!"

"Then who _is_ your Danny?!" he shouts, leaping to his feet, "Tell me! Who _is_ he, Maddie? Because _I'm_ the Danny you've been living with for the past two years!" his eyes blaze, "Tell me, who is _your Danny?!_"

"My Danny isn't a _ghost_, that's for sure!"

"Then _your Danny_ has been dead for years! Congrats, your son is dead and you _never knew_!" he snarls, returning to his human form, his eyes still burning green, "I don't ever recall being anyone else, but _what do I know_?!"

"Give him back!" she yells, leaping for him.

"That's enough," Jack wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her back to the couch, his bright eyes dimmed by a rare sadness, "That's enough, Maddie. You need to calm down. You too, Danny."

His jaw clenches, but his eyes fade back to blue.

"I don't know why we never saw it," he whispers, "It was just you…with a different hair and eye color."

"You weren't looking for a human being," Danny replies, placing himself back on the couch.

"So…you're…a half-ghost like Vlad?"

"Technically," Danny replies, "But we're not the same. Don't _ever_ compare us. He wasn't a good guy to begin with, and getting an obsession on top of that…it destroyed any humanity he had left."

"So half-ghosts have obsessions too?"

"Call me a 'halfa'," Danny smiles, relaxing, "And yeah, we do."

"Vladdy's?"

"Possession gained by power – specifically, possession of Mrs. Fenton," Sam answers.

He swallows, "…yours?"

"Heroism," Tucker answers, "We're keeping him pretty grounded though. The more you feed an obsession, the more twisted you become."

"What if he didn't feed it at all?"

"Everything in moderation," Danny chuckles, "It'd probably warp me just as quickly."

Jack's eyes scan over his son. Gone is the nervous shifting and sweating, replaced by a confident, relaxed pose. The strain he's seen pulling at Danny for the past few years is gone, a weight lifted from his shoulders. He keeps a hold of his trembling wife.

"Danny, we…" he whispers, tearing up, "we…molecule by molecule…"

"You didn't know," Danny whispers, "Val didn't know until this mess either. I don't blame you; either of you. There are a lot of bad ghosts out there, and a lot of them come to Amity Park. Most friendly ghosts don't leave the Infinite Realms. It's only natural to be afraid."

"I…I refuse…" Maddie glares, sobbing between words, "my son…"

"I'm alive, Mom," Danny whispers, leaving his seat and crouching in front of her, "See?" he takes her hand firmly, preventing her from pulling away, and places it to his chest, "If you cut me, I bleed. Red and green. Human and ghost."

Her fingers tremble against the fabric of his shirt, until she feels a gentle pounding, far slower than normal. He releases her wrist, but her hand remains.

"If I weren't a halfa, I'd definitely be dead by now," he chuckles, tears glittering at the corners of his eyes, "Probably several times over, but I got shrapnel or something to the heart a few days ago. Yet there it is, functioning just fine now."

She finally pulls away, collapsing into Jack's arms to sob.

"Perhaps you should tell us more, Danny," he smiles, "Everything. Especially about the whole 'Public Enemy Number One' deal?"

"Gladly," Danny smiles in return.

**A/N: Longest chapter to date! I feel like Tucker and Valerie, while they love each other, will fight a lot, because she's high-strung and stubborn. Tuck's relaxed, but stubborn as well. Their ways of doing things clash a bit. I wanted to wait for Jack to pull the reveal, because I feel like he actually has less animosity towards ghosts. I think he studies them…for the sake of studying them. Maddie always seemed more malevolent towards them. I feel like he'd take the reveal better than his wife. Anyway, we're at 271 reviews, 133 follows, 105 favs, and 19,294 views! YAY! Please keep read/review/faving/following! Also, to guests who don't know this by now because they can't follow me: I update almost daily, sometimes even twice in one day. Anyway, I hope you all are still enjoying this story, especially this chapter!**

**BIGGEST FAN EVER: Congrats, you have reduced me to tears of laughter again! Sorry for trolling you; I couldn't resist. It's what happens when you go and watch your favorite moments from Durarara involving Izaya Orihara…I promise that my trolling is rare!**

**KodiakWolfe13: Thank you for all of your reviews! You're always so constant!**

**Austrian Girl: Hope to see you often!**

**The Talent: Yes, Ida is still alive. :D She's too cool to kill off.**


	24. In The Finale 1

Ch. 24

"It's the Fenton Portal!" Star beams, pointing to the swirling green circle in the distance. Her announcement is met with cheers.

"Finally!" Paulina huffs, "I like…_so_ need a mani-pedi! Just _look_ at my nails!"

"Hey, Fenton! What's with the expression?" Dash shouts.

Danny's eyes flit around, his jaw clenched in worry, _::It can't be this easy, Sam.::_

_::Don't look a gift horse in the mouth,::_ her hand squeezes his.

"He worrying about the third party?" Tucker guesses.

"Yeah," Danny replies, "You can ask _me_ you know."

"You're wired right now, man," Tucker snorts.

"Not without reason," Valerie replies quietly, ready to summon her suit at a moment's notice.

"I don't sense anything yet," he growls, green flashing momentarily deep in his irises, "It's like waiting for someone to pull a tooth. The pliers are there, you can feel the pressure…"

"And every second that they hesitate makes the pain you're expecting worse," Val finishes.

"Yeah."

"Will you recognize the ghost if he shows up again?" Maddie asks stiffly.

"I should," he replies calmly, _::Sam, I can feel you steaming. I told you that she'd need a little time. Look, my _dad's_ fine!::_

All he gets in reply is a mental snort.

They near the portal, now a quarter-sized hole in the distance.

_"__We're canvassing the area, Great One, but we aren't finding anything,"_ Frostbite buzzes through the radio.

"Don't let your guard down," he frowns, "The first attack came from a distance."

_"__Understood."_

They speed closer and closer, _soon, soon!_ Jack glances at his son's hand, tightening its grip on the seat, which creaks in protest. Through the windshield, he can see the roaming white dots that signify the Far Frozen, who had left their realm earlier to ensure a safe passage.

Danny's eyes widen, and he leaps out of the shuttle, followed by Valerie, Sam, and Tucker, "Shields! _Now!_"

Jack slams the button for the rudimentary ghost shield he and Maddie had made the night before, and Danny floats in front of the ghost shield in his human form, his ice blue eyes locked on the portal entrance.

_"__Great One, there is someone…!"_

"I know," he snarls, "It's him…and one other. He's not alone this time."

The shuttles drift to a halt, waiting.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Have you enjoyed your trip? I certainly did, though I could have done with more…_destruction_."

The piercing, almost electronic whine sounds in Danny's ears again, and the spots dance again. He presses his hands to his ears, but without any effect. A shimmering blue curtain of light appears twenty feet away, and a familiar form strides through. His red eyes glitter in delight, matching his red tailcoat.

"Having fun, Danny?" he sneers, Lydia following behind him. A golden amulet with a glassy steel-blue stone rests in his hand, his fingers tangled into the long chain.

"F-f-freakshow," he gasps, the noise still assaulting his ears.

"Rather uncomfortable, isn't it, Kiddo?" he snickers.

"What are you doing to him?" Sam shouts, placing herself between the entertainer and her prone boyfriend.

"The Amulet of Charon," he grins, holding up the jewel, "Lovely, isn't it? Did you know that the name 'Charon' is the poetic form of a word meaning 'of keen gaze,' which referred to flashing or fierce eyes, but also to those of a blue-gray color. This amulet was stashed in the vaults of the Guys in White; a pity, certainly, for something so beautiful and so _powerful_."

"W-what are you p-planning?" Danny pants, the lights still flashing through his vision; even if he closes his eyes, they remain.

"Simple," the ringmaster growls, his form shimmering briefly again, "I want _revenge_."

"For what?" She retorts, "Yeah, we stopped you and handed you over to the government idiots, but that's an occupational hazard for villains!"

"No," he hisses, his form wavering again, "For trapping me like _this_!"

"Like what?" Tucker raises an eyebrow, "You look like you usually do."

He glares, "When your friend there turned me back into a human with the Reality Gauntlet, there was one vital problem. A ghost, once in existence, will have some degree of existence left forever in the Ghost Zone. A leftover thought or idea. The gauntlet, to account for this, created my ghost self as a separate entity. This has left my human side incomplete," his hand mists away temporarily, and he shakes it, as though restoring blood flow, to reform it, "This ghost of a ghost and I cannot be separated or merged, leaving my mind drifting between the two," he squeezes the amulet in his hand, "I'm not human, not a ghost, not a _halfa_…! I. Am. _Nothing!_" the amulet glows brightly, and Danny begins to plummet down, as though suddenly unable to fly in the ghost zone. A strangled cry escapes his lips, his eyes scrunched shut and his hands clamped tightly over his ears.

"Danny!" Sam shouts, diving after him.

_::…S-sam?::_ his mind replies weakly, _::I…I…::_ she can faintly hear the keening, and see light flashing at her corners of her vision. His mind grows darker, silent.

_::Danny? Danny! Keep talking to me!::_

_::…I…Sam? Where are you?::_

_::I'm right here, Danny!::_ she grasps his outstretched hand, pulling up as hard as she can. The shuttle is a tiny speck above them. Tucker, Val, and Freakshow are tiny dots of color.

_::…here?::_ his voice echoes hollowly in her head, _::…here…::_

-BREAK-

"We have to get that amulet away from him," Tucker whispers, "And get the shuttle past him and to the portal."

"What about Danny?" Valerie asks.

"Let Sam take care of him; he can't do anything right now anyway," he clicks at the radio, "Frostbite, you still okay?"

_"__No, we…we feel…ill…"_ he grunts.

"Get back to the Far Frozen then," he orders, "You can't help us here. Go, Frostbite."

_"__Surely we can…"_

"No. Go, Frostbite. Danny would order it."

_"__Understood, Sir Tucker."_

"Sending away your furry little army?" Freakshow laughs, "Realize how powerless you are against me?"

"No," Tucker shrugs, flicking his wrist-ray on, "I just didn't want them getting caught in the crossfire."

"Mrs. Fenton, we want you all to stay in the ghost shield, and try to sneak the long way around to the portal. Try to keep the other kids away from the windows…I…I don't want them to know who I am yet," Valerie whispers into her radio while Tucker covers her noise, "We'll keep him distracted."

"Alright, Kids!" Mr. Fenton bellows, "Get to the ground, and cover your heads! It'll be best to keep your heads down, alright?"

They all nod mutely, and lay on their stomachs. Mrs. Fenton nods at Valerie, who concentrates on the thought of her suit. It wraps securely around her, comforting after days alongside ghosts. She fires before the ringmaster can even register the transformation, and Tucker blasts Lydia away. The shuttle backs away, zooming around to the right.

"Nice shot, Babe," Tucker smiles, dodging one of Lydia's ectoblasts.

"You're not bad yourself," she grins beneath the mask, flipping to deliver a line of cover fire.

He types rapidly on his PDA, "Sam, can you tell what's up with Danny?"

_"__He…he's really out of it. There's this keening sound…like when your TV turns on, but constant; there're lights too. I'm not getting the full force of it, and it's making me sick. I can't imagine what it's doing to him. I can barely keep him talking. I managed to rest us on an island, but he's not moving."_

"It was affecting the Far Frozen as well. I sent them away," he grunts, leveling a kick at the tattooed specter, "Ever read something in one of your books about this amulet?"

_"__No. But Charon is the Grecian Psychopomp."_

"Psycho-_what_?"

_"__Psychopomp are the figurative ferrymen; those who lead or collect the souls of the dead. I thought you were supposed to be smart."_

"Sam, this has nothing to do with electronics or anything you learn naturally in school; it's a Goth thing!" he defends, "Have any other information on him?!"

_"__Umm…"_ he can see her pressing her hand to her temple, trying to think, _"The dead would have a coin placed in their mouth, as payment for the ferry. Usually an obol, which is silver. He was the son of Nyx, the goddess of the night, and Erebus, her brother and god of darkness."_

"…that is _so wrong_," he grunts, shooting a bat tattoo into oblivion, "so any idea of how to stop this thing?"

_"__Give me a minute,"_ she replies, _"…not really."_

"Thanks," he growls.

_"__Maybe if you get him talking, he'll start preening and spewing monologues like every other villain."_

"Yeah, thanks, Sam," he snorts.

_"__For now, concentrate on getting it away from him. He probably can't control it without touching it."_

"Working on it," he grunts, "Val!"

"Working on it, Tuck!" she shouts.

"See? We're working on it."

_"__Funny."_

_"__Time Out."_

**A/N: Yay! Ch. 24! This is my explanation of why/how Freakshow's ghost form is seen in Phantom Planet. The reality gauntlet is powerful enough to change him into a legitimate ghost, so it must be powerful enough to do the opposite. But Danny turned him into a human at the end of Reality Trip, so unless we decided that Freakshow died in the GiW's custody, I found this to be an interesting theory. It has to do with the nature of the GZ, as described in Ch. 23. Also: all info on Charon was nabbed from Wikipedia, so…y'know…if it's incorrect, I apologize.**

**So: Over 21,000 views and 284 reviews on this story! I love you people! I'm glad you enjoyed my reveal. I feel like it wasn't the most…dramatic out there, which is okay, because it felt more real. It's a closed reveal right now; Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, Lancer, and Valerie. Will I reveal it to the others? Who knows! Also, who can guess the amulet's weakness? :D Also: sorry this was uploaded so late in the day! Please review/fav/follow…and I hope you continue to ENJOY this fanfic! Feel free to recommend it! *Shameless***


	25. In The Finale 2

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know; short chapter today, but hey, it's a holiday here, and I have only about…2 chapters left of this fic. I plan on taking AT LEAST a day off afterwards and POSSIBLY starting "Adrift" by the 5****th****. Maybe. I make no promises. (Also, not sure if you've noticed but…I don't think I write action very well…)**

**Also: The telepathy, while introduced in this fic, isn't as relevant until "Adrift." It'll be very important there! **

**It was really funny to watch everyone when I put that "Time Out" on the end of the last chapter. Half of you were like "Wait…what?! CLOCKWORK?!" and the other half were like "YAYZ, CLOCKWORK!" In all honesty, I'm not sure Danny will ever realize that he intervened at all. He just…well, you'll see. You don't even see him in the flesh. Sorry, he'll have a LOT of relevance in "Crown of Fire," like Dani. Please don't kill me…you won't get the other two fics if you do that…**

**KodiakWolfe13: YOU REVIEWED REVIEW #300~!**

Ch. 25

Silence.

_Finally_.

He keeps his eyes closed, reveling in the darkness. In the silence. He tries to remember what he was doing. Was he ever doing anything before the noise?

_Here…here…_

He can recall a voice. Yes, it's _her_ voice. Soft lilac lips, matching eyes. Soft, onyx hair. His mind slowly clears, building from her.

_Sam, Tucker, Valerie, my parents…the other kids…Freakshow. The amulet…!_

He tries to open his eyes but finds that he can't. Instead, he spills his senses out. Clouds of despair, remorse, and anger cling to his own body, as they cling to the amulet in Freakshow's hand, far above.

_I know what it does,_ he realizes, _I know what it does!_ He reins his ghost sense in, practically abolishing it. He shoves his cold core down as far as he can.

_"__Time In."_

His eyes snap open, immediately meeting Sam's.

"Danny!" she shouts, brushing his bangs away from his eyes, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he croaks, his voice sounding distant in his ears, "Still a little woozy, but I can think now. I know what the amulet does," he sits up, grimacing as the world momentarily swirls again.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Hand me the radio."

"Sure thing," her hands shake, betraying the worry she hides. He keeps a hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing small circles across the back.

He taps into channel four, "Tuck!"

_"__Danny! You okay, Man?"_

"Yeah, mostly. I know what it does."

_"__Spill!"_

"The amulet can manipulate the thin dispersion of miasma in the Zone. The miasma conducts emotions best; so ghosts can practically feed on it. It's why they return to the Zone often. Before the explosion, he was absorbing massive amounts of energy by drawing it all to himself. I could feel it moving, and it made me sick; like seasickness. Same thing happens when it condenses around me. If I have my sense spread out, I sense emotions as colors and light, with occasional bits and pieces of the thoughts _with_ that emotion."

_"__So he's pretty much overloading your senses by either condensing the miasma around you or shifting it in large quantities to make you sick?"_

"Pretty much. I've shoved my sense down as much as I can. I'm still a little dizzy, but I think I can fight."

_"__He's got it really tangled up in his hand,"_ Tucker growls, _"I'm not sure if we'll be able to make him drop it."_

_"__Not without cutting his hand off," _Valerie replies,_ "Which, you know–"_

_"__We _cannot _do,"_ Tucker interrupts, earning a derisive snort from his girlfriend.

"No, but think about it; why attack me here in the Zone? Why wait until I'm where I can heal the fastest? Why wait until I'm with my entire class?"

_"__The amulet doesn't work outside of the zone,"_ Tucker realizes,_ "It was to his advantage you were in here with a class; he knew you wanted to keep your secret, and wouldn't use the full extent of your healing capabilities and risk exposure. He separated us in hopes that it would make it harder for you to keep your secret without us. Think about it; of all the people in your group, you got three of the biggest antagonists of your life _and_ your mom."_

"So you're saying…" Sam whispers.

"We have to get him to the mortal realm," Danny answers, "If we can get him there, he's toast."

_"__How are we going to do that?!"_ Valerie grunts.

"Let's see if he still has ghost envy," he grins, "How is the shuttle in relation to the portal?"

_"__Almost there. We haven't given Freakshow or Lydia an opening, but we haven't been able to do much besides hold them back."_

"Remember, he can use the amulet to teleport somehow. Watch out for that; we're coming."

_"__Got it."_

He gives the radio back to Sam, leaning his forehead on her shoulder with a deep breath. Color dances at the edge of his vision, but he can't shove his ghost sense any further away. She smells nice – like her greenhouse. He wonders briefly how she can still smell like a place she hasn't been in for days.

_::Pandora gave me some herbs to use at the Far Frozen when showering up. It isn't my garden.::_

_::…you weren't supposed to hear that.::_

_::Sorry. We'll work out all of the kinks later…you really think I smell nice?::_

He cracks open a blue eye, staring up beneath messy black bangs, and inhales pointedly. She can feel her face heat, earning a small smirk from her tormentor, _::You can read my mind. Tell me. Do I really think so?::_

_::I hate you sometimes.::_

_::Sometimes? What about the rest?:: _He feigns offence. His eyes slip closed and she can sense him trying to fight his nausea with slow, controlled breaths.

_::…can you really fight?::_

_::Yeah, just…give me a second. I tried summoning my ghost half a second ago and it flooded me again. I can't transform until we either get him to drop it or lure him to our world.::_

She can see the frustration swimming across his features, and she takes his head in her hands, brushing though his thick black hair. His skin is warmer than usual, but a thin sheen of sweat covers it. The longer she looks, the sicker he appears.

"You never answered my question," he smiles weakly, leaning into her touch.

"What question?"

"If you only hate me sometimes, what about the rest?"

"Stupid."

"Answer it," he challenges, pulling her closer and nuzzling her neck, "I want to hear you say it, Sam."

"Of course I love you, idiot."


	26. In The Mortal Realm

Ch. 26

_Stupid brats! Curse that sled!_ His fingers tighten around the amulet. His foot mists away, dragged off to a big top somewhere on the other side of the Ghost Zone. He's aware of the halfa below, slowly beginning to rise.

_Has he figured it out?_

He dodges another blast from the sled, and sweeps the miasma beneath it like a wave, sending the rider tumbling head-over-heels. Lydia's tattoos swirl around the technogeek, who drops beneath the cloud and fires from below.

A pink ray blasts into his side, sending him flying. His hand snaps out to catch his top hat. He whirls the miasma around again, whipping it into what would be a frothy patch of ocean in the mortal world.

Again, some part of him mists away, and he can see the lights focusing on the ring. The four-armed ghost in the center twirls a bejeweled rod. His red cape swishes over the ground.

_A ghost. Even now, I'm being upstaged _by a ghost!

In the corner of his eye, he's aware of the shuttle, inching towards the portal. He should stop it. Reveal the halfa's secret. Reveal the Huntress's secret. So many secrets to reveal, nothing truly released due to that boy's stubbornness. The groups he provided were the most interesting he could have. The Ghost Boy, Danny Fenton – _no_, Danny _Phantom_, in a group that comprised of his greatest tormentors.

Maddie Fenton, a beautiful, scientific genius who hates ghosts with a passion. She's logical, suspicious, and already mistrusts halfas due to Vlad Plasmius. She hunts Phantom constantly, consumed by a desire to study him; but also the desire to protect her children. Yes, her reaction to the truth was truly the pinnacle of entertainment. Her tears, her anger, her confusion, her doubt, her paranoia. All crushed beneath the revelation that she had been hunting her own son.

William Lancer, the vice-principal of Casper High. He's tough on his students, but because he cares. Despite that, he didn't seek the truth behind Daniel Fenton's mysterious absences and disappearances. Never noticed the hidden injuries or the bullying. He looked down on him and wondered where _he_ could possibly go in his life. Tucker Foley is intelligent and resourceful; after the disasteroid incident, he got plenty of scholarships. Samantha Manson, while a rebel, does well in class and gets excellent grades; she has some issues with authority, but she's determined and passionate. But what about Danny Fenton? He'd had dreams of becoming an astronaut, but his poor grades didn't help. He wasn't sure what he'd end up doing; he never suspected he'd become a hero. When the slightly overweight teacher had pieced the puzzle together, he'd checked it over and over again. The more he thought about it, the more – and yet less – sense it made. He hadn't shown his horrified expression to Danny; instead, he'd been up the entire night wondering how to apologize. How to make things right. Debating who to tell and how; should he stop a student from doing something so dangerous?

_Could _he?

Dash Baxter, the resident bully, had been entertaining to watch. Freakshow had delighted in the shattered expression upon learning that his punching bag was dead. He'd looked terrified, as though by his own hand. His face was pale and sweating, his blue eyes wide; sick, he looked like he wanted to puke. Then Danny was alive, and he still looked ill. Haunted. His opinion of the smaller boy has been written on his face, slowly turning into fear, confusion…and awe. He has yet to figure everything out; but who cares? It'd been amusing to see him wonder what Danny could have done to him if he'd ever lost his temper.

Kwan Ishiyama had been the least entertaining of the lot. Sure, he'd felt guilty, but not as much as Dash. He wasn't a leader; he just followed, and did whatever put him in the spotlight. But he wasn't as interesting without Dash around; not for _his_ purposes.

Freakshow had separated the trio, to weaken them. Sam was placed with her mortal enemy; the ever-popular Paulina Sanchez. He was amazed that she hadn't killed the cheerleader. As for Tucker Foley, he'd been given the easiest group – in a fashion. None of them were necessarily _enemies_, but given how far out they had been in the Zone, being with Lester and Mikey – two of the least in-shape kids at school – _had_ to have been difficult.

Then there was Valerie Gray, the competent Huntress, infamous in the Infinite Realms for her ruthlessness and skill. She was placed with none other than Jack Fenton, a man renowned for his incompetence. It would have been more amusing to see when she would have snapped and shot him, revealing her identity…but Walker's prison had been entertaining, no?

The shuttle inches closer to the portal, and he lets it. What does he care? His quarry is here; below him. He just has to remove the other two pests, and then he'll make the hero suffer. He'll capture them and that pretty little girlfriend of his. She'll be last. She'd been the one to foil his first plan; it had been _her_ peril that broke the control he'd held over Phantom. He will make Phantom watch her life slowly and agonizingly leave her body. What could be worse to a hero than letting someone die before his very eyes? Someone he loves? It'll tear him apart in every part of his being; his human love for her and his ghostly obsession with heroics. Her death would violate them both; her death alone could destroy him.

It disappears through the portal finally, no longer an option. He doesn't care; he has more important things to deal with, such as…

"Hey! Freakshow!" those awful blue eyes turn an even worse green beneath the midnight strands of hair, and he restrains a snarl.

"I see you're back," he sneers, his red lips curling, "Perfect. This way, I can skip capturing them and just _kill them!_"

"You can't do that," Danny mocks, "I mean, you're not human, not ghost, not a halfa either," he laughs, "but me? I have the best of both sides!" he draws the goth closer, capturing her lips briefly, "And I have people who accept both sides of me."

"_Enough!_" he swirls a large wave of miasma around the teen, who visibly pales, "You can't do anything either!"

"Oh really?" he snorts, slipping onto the sled, a protective arm around Sam, "_I_ don't have to stay here. I can just leave. I'm completely free. I don't have to stay in the Zone, and even when I'm in the mortal world, I can fly around as much as I want. People _cheer _when I show up," he grins as Valerie hits the acceleration and the sled begins to take off, whipping his following words away.

They speed for the portal, and he waves the amulet in the air and steps through the curtain with Lydia, appearing in front of the portal. He pulls the miasma aside, trying to divert the sled speeding towards the portal behind him. A smug grin rests beneath acid green eyes as the Huntress surfs the condensed mist, her arm whipping out and catching the ringmaster in the stomach, pulling him through the portal.

-BREAK-

"Everyone, out! Out!" She lands the shuttle and helps Lester with his injured leg from the vehicle.

"Mom! Dad!" Jazz appears, breathless, on the bottom step of the lab, "You're all okay!"

"Maybe a little scuffed up," Jack grins, "What're you doing here, Jazzerincess?"

"A group of students, a teacher, and my parents go missing during a field trip _into the Ghost Zone_. Who did you _think_ they'd call?!" she frowns, "What _were _you thinking_?!_"

"_Jazz_," Maddie cautions, "Can we talk about this later? We'll be taking them all to the hospital for checkups in the Fenton Assault Vehicle."

"Yeah…wait, where's Danny?"

"Yeah. I want an explanation about why you didn't tell me," she frowns, "But not right now; too many…unaware parties."

"Got it," Jazz laughs nervously, "But…?"

"He, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie are holding off that Freakshow fellow," Jack answers, "Your mother and I will be taking the kids. You wait here for them, okay?"

"Yeah," she nods, "…Freakshow?"

"Yeah."

"How…?" she shrugs, "Not the time," she snatches a Fenton Peeler from the desk, "Go. I'll hold down the fort. I can ask Danny when he gets here." The group vanishes up the stairs, desperate to get as far away from the portal as possible.

_So they know now,_ she thinks, tracing a seam of her weapon, _they didn't kill him, so…I was right about that. I wonder what Freakshow's up to now? I should probably thank him; he made an excellent case for my college entry thesis on ghost envy. I mean…thank him _after_ he's been detained, obviously…I wonder if the Ghost Writer has any books I could use for my dissertation on Ectopsychology as a legitimate field of science? I mean, that may be years away, but you can never start too early…_

Valerie bursts by on her sled, Freakshow in hand, Tucker and Sam leap to the floor, and Danny waves with a brief "Hey, Jazz!" as they angle up, phasing through the ceiling into the world above.

Tucker rushes over and closes the portal, while Sam snatches a bazooka from the weapon's vault.

"So, what's going on? Should I gear up too?"

"Freakshow's back for revenge on Danny," Tucker answers.

"No, we've got this. Danny can probably handle it himself, now that Freakshow's little amulet doesn't work," Sam shrugs, "We're just extra insurance. You keep an eye on the portal. If you see Lydia – red cape, lots of tats? – shoot her."

"Got it. Have fun," Jazz seats herself at the desk and begins to read a book beside the keyboard.

"We'll catch up when we're done here," Tucker smiles.

"You okay, Tuck?" she asks, finally noticing the bandage across his head.

"I'm fine," he shrugs nervously.

"He just doesn't want to go to the hospital," Sam snorts, shoving him to the steps, "We'll tell you the stories later. See you, Jazz," they disappear up the stairs.

"_BEWARE!"_

She snatches the flyswatter on the desk without looking away from her book and slaps the ghost away through the wall.

"How _dare_ you swat the terrible Box-Ghost with your little plastic flyswatter of—"

"Shut up, or I cram you into the thermos for several days," Jazz growls, swatting him away a second time, "I'm trying to study. Get lost."

-BREAK-

They spew into the sky, and he takes a deep breath of air, allowing his cold core to rise. The familiar lightness spreads through him, and he can't help but grin as he falls from the sled; he breaks into a laugh as he spirals up behind it. Valerie lets go of Freakshow as she swerves aside. He falls a short distance, his voice a high scream until Danny catches him.

"You were going to do _what_ to my friends?" he challenges, rising higher again.

"I-I'll k-kill t-them…and _you!_" the ringmaster shrieks.

"With what power?!" Danny snarls, ripping the amulet from his hand. The gold chain shatters, the links scattering in the sunlight like sparks. He tosses it to Valerie, who hovers nearby.

Freakshow's form ripples, and he can see his ghost bowing to a crowd of his peers. Below, a group of people cheer for Phantom.

"I! Will! _Not!_ Be! Upstaged! By! A! _Ghost!_" His hands scramble for the halfa's throat, but he feels a pull at his cape. Turning, he can see the familiar blue light of a thermos.

"Hm," Danny smirks, "Seems it still works on you," he drops him to avoid the thermos, and Valerie caps it.

"What are you going to do?" she asks, handing him the container.

"We'll find a way to lock him in one form or another," he shrugs, "Maybe uniting him with his ghost or something. Who knows? We'll deal with him after some research. We'll want to keep that amulet too; don't want anyone using it."

"Why not destroy it?"

"What if one piece works like the whole amulet?" he snorts, "We'll keep it intact for now."

"Good point."

"Besides, I think Sam could totally rock a couple pieces of it as earrings…Christmas is only a few months away…"

"…really, Danny?"

"Yeah," he grins.

"Danny!" Sam waves from the top of a building, a bazooka slung over her shoulder, "You already took care of it?"

"Yeah!" he replies, phasing back to Fenton,"Where did my parents and students go?"

"Hospital," Tucker shudders.

"You really _should_ go, Babe," Valerie sighs, alighting next to him.

"Wait, so _I'm_ 'Babe' now?"

"Are you going to complain?"

"…no."

"Good. Let's go," she pats her sled affectionately.

"_Oh_ no," he backs away, "I'll just walk – it's not that far–" he's cut off as she whisks him away, a terrified yelp on his lips.

Sam laughs, "Ghosts? No problem. A ride on Val's sled to a _hospital_? He screams."

"Well, we all have our weaknesses," Danny chuckles, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Should we catch up?"

"We're fine," she shakes her head, "Let's just go back to your place, huh? We can explain some things to Jazz."

"Sounds good," he smiles, "Tuck can tell everyone we're back safely."

"You _temporarily died_ on this 'field trip' and you say we came back _safely_?"

"Hey, we're alive _now_, right?"

**A/N: All that's left is the epilogue! I hope this wasn't too…anti-climactic. I'm not good at action; I'm more of a character-driven person. It's weird; I've almost done NaNoWriMo here! Remember to keep an eye out for "Adrift," the sequel-fic to this! (I will post the first chapter no later than next Monday, 9/8/2014!)**

**So…how does it feel to realize that you've practically been Freakshow this whole time? Watching the struggles of the characters, enjoying their hardship? *evil laugh***

**A BIG THANK YOU to all who have reviewed! Remember; it's your reviews and love that fuel my writing! :D Please continue to do so and never forget to ENJOY the story! I hope you'll also enjoy the sequel.**


	27. In The Epilogue

**A/N: Here it is! The Epilogue! Read/review/fav/follow and…ENJOY! Remember to keep an eye out for the sequel, "Adrift"! It may not be updated as often (I finally graduated from NEET-dom and got a job! YAY!) but It'll still be updated as often as possible! It's been fun, and I hope you'll enjoy the sequels as well!**

Epilogue

The cold creeps between his lips, and he raises his hand. Mr. Lancer glances over with a wry smirk.

"You don't have to ask anymore, Fenton. Just go. Manson can take notes for you."

Danny leaps from his seat and vanishes through the door as Sam pulls out a black notebook with "Danny" written on the front with a silver sharpie. The students who hadn't been on the fieldtrip stare in confusion, sending asking glances at their classmates. They receive nothing but shrugs in return. They had all agreed to keep the ghost-hunting secret in the hospital at Danny's insistence, two weeks prior.

Things are the same as ever; yet somehow different, at Casper High. Danny Fenton still vanishes in the middle of class, to sometimes return with injuries, which no longer go as unnoticed. Dash no longer bullies him _or_ the other 'nerds,' knowing what could happen in retaliation. Mr. Lancer still drones on, though – _that_ hasn't changed.

Tucker Foley and Valerie Grey are among the most discussed and debated couples in the school. They can both be seen bickering constantly as they walk through the hallways, but Alex and Jaden insist that they'll stick; something about Valerie being the type of person who could never respect someone who can't hold their own and Tucker getting bored otherwise.

A normal, peaceful day at Casper High; well, as peaceful as it gets when a techno-ghost decides to invade the computer lab.

Frederick Isak Showenhower, more commonly known as "Freakshow," had been given to Clockwork, who promised that he would be given to the Observants, who would give it to other delegates to solve the problem; he has since been united with his ghost self, and was full-ghost, living happily with Lydia under the spectral big top.

The Amulet of Charon had proven to be powerless once broken, and Sam was given a pair of dangling skull earrings made of an oddly familiar blue-gray material _long_ before Christmas.

Over all, everything is peaceful.

Maddie Fenton stands in the moonlight that spills through her window, leaning on the sill and allowing the night air to calm her mind. Her violet eyes are framed by shadows, betraying her lack of sleep. When she closes her eyes, she sees her son's blood-stained body, his skin cold and gray, and then he opens his eyes – eyes that burn acid green. He asks her why she didn't notice that he'd died. That the Danny she'd known for the past few years wasn't _him_.

She doesn't hear him stop in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"Mom?"

She turns to see him – _her son _– watching her with worried blue eyes, framed by shadows like her own. A cut on his cheek has stopped bleeding recently, and she knows it'll be gone by morning. They always are.

"Yeah?" she tries to smile.

He sighs, a sad, gentle smile forming on his face. He walks slowly towards her and places a hand on her shoulder before drawing her into a hug.

"It's okay, Mom," he whispers, "I know it's hard. I…I should have told you sooner. But I was scared," he chuckles weakly, "I was just a fourteen-year-old boy who ended up with ghost powers in a freak accident. At first…I just didn't know _how_ to tell you; just waltz in and declare that I had ghost powers? Then I started fighting ghosts…and I was afraid that my enemies would target you even more if you knew."

"Fourteen-year-old boys aren't supposed to worry about things like that," she sniffs into his shirt.

"I suppose not," he laughs, backing away with a smile, "But it's part and parcel with the superpowers and heroics."

"The troubles of a boy your age are supposed to be…" she shakes her head, "school, cars, girls…"

"School, a little," he shrugs, "I can fly, and I already have the only girlfriend of my entire life, so…"

She laughs, "Do _her_ parents know yet?"

"No," he smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do Tucker's?"

"Also no."

"Do they know about the _ghost hunting_?" she frowns.

"Do you honestly think Sam's parents would let her do that? They put a restraining order on me _freshman year_ because Sam and I cut class to go to Circus Gothica…granted, I was being brainwashed by Freakshow with a crystal-ball-staff, but…you get the point. They only removed it because she wore that awful floral-print, poofy-sleeved monstrosity…I can't believe she did that for _me_…" he trails off, "How _did_ I _not_ notice?"

"Tucker's parents wouldn't exactly approve either, but I'm sure he could talk them into it."

"Probably," he smirks, "We don't want to worry them, though. Val's dad knows about her hunting…somewhat. He grounds her from the suit on occasion, but he's accepted that he can't keep her off of it at all times. He might know that we're out there now."

"It probably makes him feel a little better, knowing that his little girl isn't alone out there," she whispers, turning back to the window.

"Yeah," he moves beside her, "…get some sleep, Mom. You look exhausted; and for what I said in Frostbite's place…I…I didn't mean it. I was just…frustrated. You wanted the truth, and I was finally telling you and…" he sighs, his eyes flashing green.

"…and I was rejecting it," she finishes.

"Yeah."

"Tucker told me about the Reality Gauntlet."

"Did he?" he swallows.

"You erased our memory; everyone's memory."

"I did."

"Why? We…we accepted you, why…why us too?"

"Because of this," he indicates her sleep-deprived state, "Nights spent worrying at the window. Sam already does that. I didn't need to add you to the list of people waiting for me to show up battered, bruised, and bleeding."

"It must have been rough," she whispers.

"It isn't easy to love a hero," he replies quietly, "the world is always on our shoulders and any day can be the day we meet someone stronger than us. Any day can be our last, every breath, every kiss…I'm not sure what will happen when I die. Will I move on? Will I become a full ghost? Will I be stuck in some sort of limbo? I don't know," his fist clenches, and he turns, pausing in the doorway, "But I can't prevent that. We all die someday, so what's the point of worrying about it now? I'll have to deal with it when I get there," she can't even hear his feet in the hallway as he creeps to his room.

"It is tough," she whisper hoarsely, "but I still love you, Danny. _My_ Danny."


End file.
